You Can Always Count On Me
by Heavenli24
Summary: Best friends Max Evans and Liz Parker are spending the summer before college travelling across the US together. But what happens when they realise that they don't know each other quite as well as they thought? Will their friendship survive the trip?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** You Can Always Count On Me

**Author: **Heavenli24  
**Pairings/Couples/Category:** M/L  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer****:**The characters of "Roswell" belong to Jason Katims, Melinda Metz, WB, and UPN. They are not mine and no infringement is intended_._  
**Summary: **Best friends Max Evans and Liz Parker have just graduated from High School and are spending the summer before college travelling across the country together. But what happens when they realise that maybe they didn't know each other quite as well as they thought; that there are things that each of them kept from the other? Will their friendship survive the trip?

**Author's Note: **This is an AU fic – no aliens, but with the usual CC couples (M/M and A/I, but the jury's still out on the status of Max and Liz's relationship ).

* * *

**Part One**

I'm standing at the top of the bleachers, just staring out over the football field, lost in thought.

High School. I can't believe it's finally over. It's been my entire existence for the past four years, and now…it's just ended.

I'm pulled from my thoughts by an arm being slung across my shoulders and squeezing me tightly.

"Having deep thoughts again are we, Parker?" an amused, deep voice questions beside me. "Better be careful, you don't wanna hurt yourself."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny, Evans," I retort dryly, elbowing him in the ribs playfully. I turn my head to look at him properly. He looks good in his Graduation robes, very grown up. I study his profile for a second before turning back to watch the rest of the senior class celebrating with their friends and families.

"It's hard to believe this is it, we're done," I say softly, partly to myself.

"Yeah, I know, four years," he replies wistfully.

We stand there in silence for a couple of minutes, just taking it all in, the atmosphere, the excitement. But I can tell the exact instant when the sombre moment passes and Max relaxes, returning to his usual teasing self.

"So, now we have exactly three months of freedom before we have to leave for college and start growing up. What will we do with ourselves?"

I know he's joking around, but I can't resist getting a jab in, "Oh, you know, I'll just be here, working at the Crashdown, maybe getting a head start on the whole college preparation thing…"

He looks worried for a second, although he should know perfectly well what my plans for the summer are. "Liz, come on, you're not seriously gonna spend the whole time studying? You promised me you were coming…" he trails off, giving my his puppy-dog eyes.

I can't stop the grin appearing as I nudge him, "Max! Of course I'm coming with you, we've been planning this for months! What do you take me for? I'd never let you down," I feign disbelief at his suggestion that I would just leave him in the lurch. "But, the look on your face when I said it – " I crack up then, unable to take it any longer.

He just shakes his head and rolls his eyes, as his arm tightens slightly around my shoulder before letting go completely.

"Come on," he holds out his hand and I take it. "Let's go mingle, I have a feeling our parents are itching to congratulate us and take pictures."

As he pulls me down the metal steps towards the ground, I can't help smiling. Right now, everything is great in my life. I graduated in the top five of my class; in three months I'll be heading to Harvard to study Biology and right now, I have my best friend in the whole world by my side.

Less than five minutes later we're posing for photographs. For some of them it's just me and Max together, for others I'm standing alone and the last ones are the whole group together – me, Max, Max's sister, Isabel and his other best friend, Michael, Michael's girlfriend and my best girl-friend, Maria and last but not least, our good friend and Isabel's boyfriend, Alex.

It's standing there smiling and joking with them that I realise how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life, to have Max Evans in my life. Max is my best friend; we've known each other for years, pretty much since kindergarten. We've grown up together in Roswell and amazingly, managed to stay friends all through Junior High and High School, despite the whole puberty, becoming young adults thing that usually causes boy-girl friendships to evaporate. But now at eighteen, although we're obviously different now than when we were eight-year-old kids playing together in the park, he's still the one person I can talk to about anything, the only one I really trust with my problems (well, the non-girly ones anyway – that's what Maria's there for) and I don't know how I'm going to survive in the Fall, not being able to see him everyday. He's going to be at UNM and living in Albuquerque next semester, while I'll be living two thousand miles away in Massachusetts.

Which is why this summer, we've arranged a trip away, to see the country, just him and me. One last hurrah, if you will.

Well, actually the original plan was that we would all go travelling together; but the others can't make it. Michael has to work the whole summer to pay the bills and Maria didn't really want to go without him. Isabel is planning to move up to San Francisco early, for a pre-college summer course and Alex has been offered the opportunity to work as an intern for a local computing company during the summer.

So, it's just going to be Max and me. We're leaving in three weeks. Max wanted to go sooner, but I realised that I would need to work for a few weeks to earn enough money for the trip. We've already paid all our expenses, but I'm going to need spending money for food and everything. To be honest, I can't wait! We're taking Max's jeep and just driving round the country (well, as much of it as we can, anyway), having fun on the way. It's going to be great!

* * *

_Three weeks later_

"Come on, Liz! Aren't you ready yet?" I hear Max's irritated voice shout from downstairs.

"I'll just be a minute, okay?" I call back; slightly annoyed at his anal-retentive attitude to making sure we leave on time. We're going on vacation, for God's sake, we're supposed to be relaxing!

Where was I? Oh right, the suitcase. For some reason, I can't get it to close. I've been trying to shut it for the past half an hour, rearranging everything, taking stuff out and repacking it, but nothing's working. I've even tried sitting on it, but that didn't help.

Oh, great. Now I can hear his footsteps coming up the stairs. I take a quick glance around my room – shit, it's a mess. Max isn't going to be pleased when he sees this and realises that we won't be able to leave until I've tidied everything up.

"Liz, what the hell are you doing up here?" he demands as he flings open my bedroom door. "Oh, holy shit…" he trails off in disbelief when he notices the state of the room.

I cringe and smile at him sheepishly, "Um, do you think you can give me a hand here, Max?" I ask. At his sceptical look, I start pleading, "Please, Max? I can't get this case closed…I'd really appreciate it…I promise I'll make it up to you, I'll buy you dinner later…the quicker I get this fastened, the sooner we can leave…" He's now staring at me with an incredulous look on his face, so I flutter my eyelashes at him and give him my best pout.

Eventually he sighs and rolls his eyes. "Fine, Parker. But just so you know, I am only doing this so we can finally get on the road."

He makes his way around the tangled mess of clothes on my bedroom floor and begins struggling with the suitcase as I bend down to gather up some of the clutter. Eventually he manages to zip it closed and takes it down to the jeep while I finish straightening out the room.

Once I'm done, I grab my jacket and run downstairs to where my parents and our friends are waiting to see us off.

Max already said goodbye to his parents back at his house and he's not really one for hugs and teary farewells, so he's just outside by the jeep with Michael and Isabel, waiting for me. I throw my arms around each of my parents in turn and give them each a kiss on the cheek, promising to be careful and look after myself. I then turn to Maria and Alex who suddenly engulf me in a big three-way hug and won't let go even when I try to wriggle out of their grasp and head for the back door of the Crashdown. I end up leaving with one of them one each side of me, our arms linked.

We approach the jeep in time to see Michael and Max giving each other a manly hug and a pat on the back, before pulling apart and exchanging a complicated, yet somewhat juvenile handshake. Amused, I clear my throat to alert them of our presence and Max sighs in relief.

"Finally! Now maybe we can get this show on the road?" he says, exasperated. I should be offended by his comments, but I know he's not being completely serious; he just likes to tease me about my lack of time-keeping skills. I simply raise an eyebrow and refuse to comment.

He rolls his eyes at me as if to say '_Women!' _and exchanges a knowing look with Michael, which causes Maria to glare at them both. However, Max just shrugs and turns to Isabel. He wishes her good luck in San Francisco, since she'll be leaving soon and then hugs her fiercely. He and Isabel are really close considering they're siblings; maybe it's a twin thing.

When he's done, he turns to me and grins. "Ready?"

"Yep," I reply excitedly and turn to the others, "I guess this is it, guys." But, I find I'm unable to move; I'm just rooted to the spot. "I'm going, then. Here we go," but I'm still not leaving. I don't know what's come over me.

I'm pulled out of my trance, however, when Max grabs me by the arm and literally drags me to the car, "What is the matter with you, Parker? Geez, anyone would think you didn't want to go," he says as he deposits me in the passenger seat.

I look at him indignantly, "Of course I want to go; it's just…" I gaze back at our friends. "I don't want to leave _them_."

"They'll be fine without us, Lizzie," he reassures me. "Won't you, guys?"

They all nod simultaneously, which makes me giggle. "Alright, fine. Let's go then, shall we?" I try for perky, but inside I almost feel like crying. Sure, I've been looking forward to this trip for ages, but now it's actually happening, I don't know if I can survive the whole summer without seeing everyone.

I don't have time to worry any more because Max hops in and starts the engine. "Bye, guys," he calls as he starts driving. "See you in a few weeks."

I just have time to swivel round in my seat and wave to my friends and my parents, who have now joined them, before we turn the corner and they disappear from sight.

I turn back to face the front and relax into the passenger seat. Max turns his head towards me, a big smile on his face and I can't help but grin back.

This is going to be the best trip of my life.

_TBC…_


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

_Day 1 – Monday June 23 2002_

_We've been on the road for almost 2 hours now and my excitement has not diminished in the slightest. We're having a great time; apart from the tiny argument we had an hour ago over where we should go first. I wanted to go see Chaco Canyon, but Max claimed it was boring and wanted to see the Petrified Forest instead. So, we butted heads for ages until I pointed out that the 'Petrified' Forest had absolutely nothing to do with terrified trees and scary ghost stories, so now we're on our way to the canyon._

_Max is driving right now and he's whistling this awful off-key song, which if I weren't so happy and relaxed, would completely get on my nerves and I would just –_

"What are you writing in there? Is it about me?" the mischievous voice cuts into my thinking pattern and I stop writing. Damn, it's like he has special 'Liz is writing about me' radar or something.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I retort, slamming the book shut. Juvenile, I know, but I can't help it. "Why don't you just concentrate on the driving and let me worry about what I'm writing, huh?"

He shakes his head and lets out a low whistle, "Geez, no need to be so uptight, Lizzie! And here I thought we were best friends, embarking on the trip of a lifetime together; but if you're gonna be like this the whole time, then maybe we should just turn back now?"

I whip my head round to face him. "Don't you dare, Max Evans!"

He just rolls his eyes and turns to concentrate on the road again, "I was only joking, Parker. Nothing in the world is going to make me turn around and go back home now." I can see him trying to conceal a smirk at how easily he can annoy me.

I don't say anything, just let out a huff and sit back in my seat to watch the scenery go past. It's pretty much always like this with Max and I. There's such a comfortable atmosphere between us that there's usually a constant, easy banter between us. It's nice, it makes me feel accepted, like I can say whatever is on my mind and I know that Max won't think I'm crazy or anything (I've had bad experiences with people who just don't get me and send me strange looks whenever I come out with something random).

* * *

Three hours later, we finally reach Chaco Canyon and as we get out of the jeep to look around, I see it's not really a canyon, but is actually the ruins of an old Native American settlement (Anasazi, I learn later), surrounded by huge rocks.

As we begin walking through the ruins, Max casually slings his arm around my shoulder.

"Wow, this is pretty cool," he says and I find myself biting my lip so as not to giggle. This, coming from the guy who said this place would be boring and why would we even bother stopping here?

"Yeah, it is," I agree and we continue on through the canyon.

By the time we're finished and ready to leave, it's almost sunset and neither of us are really in the mood to drive very much further tonight, so Max suggests we go to the nearest town, get something to eat and find a motel room (yes, a room, one; get your mind out of the gutter, Max and I are friends and besides, it's cheaper to get one room with two beds than to stay in separate rooms).

By 7 pm, we're situated in a small, but nice motel room in Gallup, New Mexico since it was the only town we could find with a decent place to stay. We got take-out pizza and some snacks and are now sitting on Max's bed, the food between us, watching TV. I only manage to eat three slices before I'm totally stuffed, so I leave the rest for Max and lean back against the headboard so I can concentrate on the TV.

A couple of minutes later I notice a prickling sensation at the back of my neck and I can tell that Max is watching me.

I shift, uncomfortable under his gaze, "What?" I ask without taking my eyes off the screen.

"Nothing," I see him shake his head out of the corner of my eye. "It's just…I'm really glad we're doing this, Liz." The teasing tone from earlier has gone; he's serious now. I guess that warrants my full attention, so I mute the TV and turn to face him.

Yeah, me too," I smile. "It's going to be great, isn't it? The best summer of our lives."

He grins and nods in agreement. "That is, if you don't get on my nerves too much," he says, back to joking, but he turns serious again a moment later. He looks at me for a second before speaking again. "I'm really going to miss you when you go off to Harvard, Lizzie."

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too, Max." I tell him, for lack of anything better to say.

He sighs, "God, what am I going to do without you around to tease every day?" he wonders.

I feel the need to lighten the atmosphere a little and give him a gentle nudge, "Hey, that's what this trip is all about, Max. You and me, spending some quality time together before school starts," I tell him. "And just think, by the end of it you'll probably be so fed up with me that you'll be glad to be apart for a while."

He smiles again and shakes his head at me, "Never gonna happen, Parker. You're stuck with me now. We've been friends for what, fourteen years already? You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

With that said, he reaches over to discard the empty pizza box on the floor and scoots up next to me, taking the remote from my hand and turning the volume up once again.

One feature film and half an episode of E.R. later, I'm practically asleep on Max's shoulder. I'm startled though, when he suddenly switches the television off and the room descends into silence.

"Hey, what'd you do that for?" I mumble, my eyes half closed. "I was watching that!"

"No, you weren't, you were half asleep! Your eyes have been closed for the past 20 minutes," he argues. "Besides, I'm tired and we have lots to do tomorrow."

He's right, in the early hours of the morning we'll be setting off for the Grand Canyon, which is a good eight-hour drive from here. We worked out that we should get there in time to watch the sunset from the South Rim, which I've heard is spectacular.

"Fine," I grumble and pull myself up into a standing position. "I'm going to wash up and change for bed, I'll see you in a couple of minutes," I tell him, grabbing my wash bag and pyjamas from my suitcase. I head into the bathroom, leaving Max to change in the bedroom.

When I remerge from the bathroom I notice that Max is already in bed, only his head, bare chest and arms visible. I wonder what the girls at school would think if they knew I would be spending the next few weeks sleeping in the same room as a half-naked Max Evans? I know that most of them find Max completely drool-worthy, but I've never really seen it myself. To me, he's just Max Evans, the boy I used to climb trees with and make mud pies with, not Max Evans, the potential love interest and, dare I say it, sex god.

To be honest, I don't really get what all the other girls see in him. I mean, sure, I guess he's kind of attractive, but you've really got to look at the bigger picture here. He has all these weird, annoying habits that just get on your nerves; like the fact that whenever there's a football game on, you can't pry him away from the screen for the world; even if you're having a major crisis and desperately need his help, he'll make you wait until the game is over before paying any attention to you; and when he's nervous or worried about something, he just about drives you crazy with his anxious pacing and inability to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds. I don't really know how anyone could be in a relationship with him and not get completely irritated by him eventually.

However, for some reason, they don't seem to have minded so far. Although that might be because none of Max's girlfriends have lasted much more than a couple of weeks; with the exception of the most recent one, that is. Tess Harding was a junior who transferred to Roswell High from Michigan a year ago and had caught Max's eye back in March. They started dating and Max seemed hopeful about the relationship until one day a few weeks ago she just broke it off with barely a word or an explanation.

It surprised me because he had always been the one to finish it, not the other way around. I'm not naïve, he may be my oldest and best friend, but he is a guy and I know what guys are like. I have little doubt that there was sex involved in those relationships and I suspect that Max probably got bored with them after a week or two and then dumped them.

I know its an awful thing to say, but let's face it, I'm sure that a lot of men go through that kind of thing at one time or another in their lives.

I suddenly notice that Max is staring at me strangely and I realise that I have been standing here like an idiot for the last few minutes. I feel my face flush with embarrassment as I quickly cross the floor to my bed and climb underneath the covers.

"Night, Max," I say as he reaches up above his head to switch off the light.

"Night, Liz," he replies, his voice tinged with amusement over my actions.

I fall asleep tonight with one thought on my mind: I can't wait to experience the rest of this trip.

* * *

_Day 3 – Wednesday June 25 2002_

_We spent today hiking down the Grand Canyon. This place is amazing and just completely awe-inspiring. Last night, Max and I watched the sunset from the top and just like I'd heard, it was absolutely stunning. Tomorrow we're going to take a helicopter ride down to the Colorado River and a bus tour around the rim._

_We're moving on from here Friday morning and will be spending a couple of days in Phoenix (well, Scottsdale actually) – it's going to be kind of a relaxation period before the real travelling gets underway!_

_Max and I have been getting on great so far, well apart from the little arguments over who gets to drive (Max has been insisting on doing it all himself no matter what I say – I think he's worried that I'll crash his precious jeep or something. As if!) and what we should listen to on the radio – I won that one since he wouldn't let me drive._

_Uh oh, I have to go now. Max is hungry and is shooting annoyed glares in my direction. _

_Oh well, I guess that's it for today._

I roll my eyes at Max as I close the journal and stash it in my suitcase. I know he's curious about what I've been writing in it, but it's private, full of my personal thoughts and feelings and for my eyes only. I'm sure he thinks I write all this stuff about him in it and he's paranoid about what I really think of him (insert exaggerated roll of my eyes here). It's kind of sad really, considering that most of what's written in there has less to do with him and our friendship and more to do with what we're doing on our trip and my feelings about going to college on the other side of the country, away from my family and friends.

Max groans as I search for my jacket. It might be the middle of summer, but it still gets cold out here at night.

"Come on, Liz! Hurry up!" he eventually bursts out. "I'm starving here."

I finally spot the coat lying on the floor, half underneath my bed and quickly scoop it up.

"Alright, alright. I'm ready. No need to get so impatient!" I exclaim and grab his hand, pulling him towards the door. Although I haven't admitted it to him, I'm starving too.

We eat at a small all-night diner we passed earlier in the day. The meal takes place in relative silence; we're both exhausted from walking all day in the summer heat and I barely have enough energy to lift the fork from my plate to my mouth, let alone enough to make conversation.

An hour later, completely worn out, I practically fall into bed back in our motel room. Max has decided that he's not yet sleepy enough to go to bed and promptly turns on the TV. Usually this would elicit a not-so-pleasant reaction from me on the importance of him being quiet when I'm trying to sleep, but tonight it doesn't matter, I'm asleep practically the second my head hits the pillow.

* * *

_Day 6 – Saturday June 28 2002_

_This is the life!It's about 95 degrees here in Scottsdale, Arizona and right now, I'm lazing by the hotel pool in a tank top and shorts – I couldn't find my bikini this morning. It's 10.30 am and it's a Saturday which means that Max is most likely still in bed. However, I've been sitting out here in the gorgeous sunshine since 9 am, so I haven't seen him yet 're staying at the Days Inn, which is next to this really great shopping mall. We checked it out (well more like I had to drag Max around it) yesterday and then last night we ate dinner at this gorgeous Italian restaurant called Oregano's. The food was the best I've ever tasted; the only sell one dessert there: half-baked cookie dough topped with ice cream but it was so good that I think I'm gonna have to make Max eat there every night we're here…_

"Excuse me?" I'm interrupted from my journal writing by a soft, masculine voice.

I close the book carefully and peer up in the direction of the voice. It belongs to a tall, well-built guy with sandy blond hair. He's standing a couple of feet from me in just a pair of swim shorts and a towel slung around his neck. If I had to guess, I'd say he was about twenty. I can't stop my eyes from leaving his face and drifting lower, wandering down over his chest. I take in the rippling stomach muscles and I let my gaze fall to the trail of hair that begins at his belly button and snakes down beneath the waistband of his shorts...

I suddenly realise what I'm doing and quickly raise my eyes back up to his face. I can feel a blush forming on my cheeks and I hope that he hasn't noticed. However, his lips are curled up in a smirk and I know that he knows exactly what I was just thinking.

"Sorry to interrupt," he speaks again. "But I was wondering if this seat was taken?" he says, gesturing to the sun lounger on my left.

"No, it's not taken," I say, although a quick glance around the pool indicates that, apart from a middle aged couple at the other end, we are the only people here and there are about twenty-five other free loungers that he could have taken.

"Thanks," he replies and takes a seat on the edge, still facing me. He holds out his hand, "Hi, I'm Aiden."

I reach over and shake his hand, "Liz."

"Nice to meet you, Liz," he says, a dazzling smile breaking out over his tanned face.

I smile back, "You too."

"So, where are you from, Liz?"

Aiden and I spend the rest of the morning in pleasant conversation. I discover that he is actually twenty-one and a Geography major at the University of Phoenix. He's also really easy to talk to and I find myself having fun with him. It takes my mind off my most recent boyfriend (well, ex-boyfriend) Kyle Valenti and our unpleasant break-up a few weeks ago.

Kyle and I started going out a few months ago and although we became very close, he just wasn't the right guy for me. We're still pretty good friends, but looking back I think that's probably all we've ever been. Maybe there was an attraction between us, but I wasn't in love with him, not really. He didn't make my breath catch whenever I saw him and although his kisses were nice, they weren't filled with raw passion or anything.

Aiden and I are still sitting in the same positions when I finally spot Max standing just behind our chairs. His hands are in the pockets of his shorts and he's wearing his favourite Nirvana t-shirt, which has definitely seen better days. As I smile at him and wave him over, I notice that he has this weird look in his eyes. It's an expression that I haven't seen on his face before and it strikes me as kind of strange. But, when he realises that I've noticed him standing there, his face changes and a smile appears. As he approaches us, I scoot up on my seat to make room for him at the end.

"Morning, sleepyhead," I smirk at him when he sits down.

However, he's not looking at me; all his attention is focused intently on the guy sitting opposite me. I frown, wondering what's wrong with him today. He's usually cheery and polite when he's meeting someone new.

I glance over at Aiden, who is looking at me quizzically and I shrug. "Max, this is Aiden. We just met this morning. He was just telling me all about the joys of student life at the University of Phoenix. Aiden, this is Max, my best friend."

Aiden holds out his hand, "Nice to meet you," he says pleasantly. But Max just stares at his outstretched hand for a minute or two, before finally, he smiles and shakes Aiden's hand.

"You, too," he replies tersely.

Now I'm really confused. I don't know what's got into my best friend; he's never been rude to anyone like this before.

I turn to him, "So, are you here to join us in this gorgeous sunshine, Max? Maybe take a dip in the pool?"

Max finally turns to look at me, his expression unreadable, "You know what? I'm just gonna go take a shower; freshen up. I'll see you later, Liz."

He stands up and with a slight nod in Aiden's direction, he leaves quickly. I just stare after him in a state of bewilderment, before turning back to face Aiden.

"Sorry about him," I apologise.

"Hey, no big deal," he dismisses it casually. "Seems like a nice guy though." His tone is serious, but I see the doubt in his expression. He raises his eyebrows as he speaks, which causes me to burst out laughing, which then makes him chuckle and within minutes we both have tears in our eyes from laughing so hard.

We sit together by the pool for a while longer, but then I decide I'd better go see how Max is doing. As I make my way back to our room, I think about what a great guy Aiden seemed to be. Even though Max and I are leaving Arizona tomorrow, I exchanged phone numbers with him and we agreed to keep in touch. Who knows, maybe something will come of it in the future?

I find Max sprawled on his stomach on his bed, staring intently at the TV.

"Hey," I announce my presence, quietly clicking the door shut. "What's up?" I ask as I take a seat next to him on the bed.

"Nothing," he mumbles, his eyes not straying from the screen.

"Come on," I nudge him. "I know when something's wrong with you."

He sighs and twists round on the bed so he can sit up and face me. "It's just…this is supposed to be _our_ holiday, Liz. You and me, having fun, together," he says, but he's not looking me in the eye.

"What are you talking about? This _is_ our trip," I say, but then something occurs to me, "This isn't about me talking to Aiden this morning, is it?" He just fixes his gaze somewhere over my shoulder and doesn't reply. "Max, we were just _chatting_! He came over to say hi, that's all."

"Yeah, well," he huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

I stand up. "Look, if you're gonna be like this all day, I'm going shopping," I say, reaching for my purse and heading for the door.

He makes no move to stop me and I wonder briefly if there's something else going on with him, something he's not telling me. But I'm not going to push the subject right now, he probably wouldn't tell me anything anyway. We've been pretty much attached at the hip so far on this trip; maybe we just need to spend a few hours away from each other.

_TBC..._


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three  
**

It's almost dark when I return to our motel room and there is no sign of Max anywhere. Exhausted, I drop my shopping bags on the floor next to my bed and flop backwards onto the mattress. I reach over, grab the TV remote from the table, and begin channel hopping.

Fifteen minutes later, the door opens and a dishevelled Max comes into view. I eye him curiously and raise an eyebrow at his appearance.

He looks down for a second, then grins sheepishly and shrugs.

"Sorry about earlier, Liz. It's just…I didn't wake up in the best mood this morning. I didn't mean to take it out on you," he apologises and then holds up the carrier bag he's holding. "Peace offering?"

I grin and roll my eyes, "Hey, it's no big deal. Really," I dismiss, but I know he saw my eyes light up at the prospect of finding out what's in the bag. "On second thoughts, " I add, "What d'ya get me?"

"Us. What did I get us?" he corrects. "First off, we've got your favourite take out meal, Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken, followed by two big slices of…Double Chocolate Fudge Cake," he says, grinning triumphantly as I let out a squeal of pleasure. "And last, but not least," he reaches into the bag, pulling out a six-pack. "Beer!"

"Max! How in the hell did you get _beer_?" I cry. "You're only eighteen, how did you manage _that _one?"

"Well," for a second, he looks like he doesn't want to tell me and I fear the worst, but then he changes his mind and what comes out of his mouth is the last thing I expect to hear. "I kind of ran into that Aiden guy at the supermarket down the road, and we got to talking. You know, he's not really that bad a guy," I roll my eyes at his reluctant expression. "Anyway, I apologised for the way I greeted him this morning and next thing I know, he's buying beer for us!"

All I can do us laugh at the incredulous look on his face as he tells me this. He looks like a little boy who's just received his Christmas presents early. I roll my eyes at him again and pat the bed next to me, inviting him to sit down.

"We good?" he asks as he sits down.

I nod. "We're good," I tell him and reach for the bag of food.

* * *

Three beers each and the whole bag of food later, Max and I are lying next to each other on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. My head is spinning slightly, but in a good way, and my arms and legs are all warm and tingly from the alcohol.

It's not like I've never been drunk before, though. I've been to parties with my friends, had a few drinks and ended up making out with the odd random guy occasionally, but I've never been drunk with just Max before, in a calm setting like this and it's a little weird.

"God, I'm stuffed," groans Max from beside me, his hand covering his stomach.

"Hmm," I mumble in agreement, not having the energy to avert my eyes from staring at the ceiling and look at him. "That was a lot of food," I sigh.

"But it was good food," he interjects. "And drink," he adds after a beat.

"Yeah," I sigh and we lapse back into silence again.

I close my eyes and relax, ready to fall asleep. Just as I begin to doze off, I hear a loud thump, followed by a muffled yelp. My eyes fly open at the sound, but when I spot the cause of it, I burst out laughing.

There's Max on the floor, one arm hooked over the side of the bed, attempting to pull himself up. Only the top of his head and his eyes are visible.

"Oh my God, Max!" I exclaim when I've recovered from my outburst and he's managed to hoist himself back up onto the bed. "What did you just do?"

He's blushing with embarrassment as he shakes his head and I almost feel bad for him. Almost. But seeing him sitting helplessly on the floor just now, brought back memories of all the stupid things I've done in the past that _he's_ laughed at, like tripping over my new long black skirt in the middle of English class or dropping a whole plate of food into the lap of my 8th grade crush when I first began helping out my parents in the Crashdown, and I just can't find it in me to sympathise with him right now.

"Yeah, yeah, just laugh it up, why don't you, Parker?" he huffs, but his words are slightly slurred and he's having trouble getting readjusted on the bed without slipping back off again.

I try to hide my smile behind my hand, but from the offended look on his face, I know I'm not being very discreet.

I remove my hand from my mouth. "Sorry, it's just, that was so funny!" I exclaim. "It's nice to see you being the clumsy one for once, Max."

"Hmmph," he grunts, crossing his arms across his chest as his lips form a pout. He's now staring intently at the TV screen, which I know is his way of trying to pretend that I'm not there.

I take the opportunity to study his profile, the alcohol in my body making me see him in a different light. He looks so adorable sitting there, slouching like a defiant young boy, his bottom lip sticking out defiantly.

I let my eyes travel over his features; the long, dark eyelashes that any girl would kill for, the cute little ears that have always stuck out slightly at the top, the straight, masculine nose and the incredibly full lips that are all too often pulled into a mischievous smirk.

My gaze ends up fixed on his short, slightly spiked hair. It just looks so soft and I imagine that it would be all silky and smooth if I were to run my fingers through it. Those three cans of beer must have really gone to my head, because now I find myself reaching out to touch it, feeling its texture as my hand slides through the short strands.

Just as I've buried my fingers in the hair above his forehead, I feel him jerk beneath my touch and too late, I realise what I'm doing. He turns to face me and I begin to make my apologies.

I get no further than, "Sorr –" before my voice trails off and my hand slips down to cup his ear and the upper part of his jaw. He has this strange look on his face again and I don't really know what it means. All I know is that now my eyes are locked completely with his and I can't look away.

"Lizzie," he whispers softly and I feel his hand on my bare arm, stroking it gently. The movement of his hand causes a shiver to run all the way up my arm. Before I have time to think about what's happening, Max is lowering his head towards mine and all I can register is the fact that those full lips are just millimetres from my own.

I don't know what's going on here. I'm not attracted to Max; I've never been attracted to him. Ever. So why is my heart suddenly beating so fast? Why have my palms just now become sweaty? My tongue sneaks out to lick my lips in anticipation.

_Oh my God!_ Is the last thought that goes through my mind before the feeling of Max's soft warm lips on mine takes over completely.

My left hand is still resting against his face, my thumb stroking his slightly stubbly cheek. I bring my right hand up to the other side of his face and then cup his jaw with both hands. Max's left hand is still caressing my arm, but now his other hand is buried in my hair, supporting my head, tilting it up so that I meet his lips fully.

I feel his tongue tracing my lower lip, sending tingles down my spine. I've kissed enough guys before to know what that means, what he wants and I open my mouth slightly, allowing him access.

I practically sigh as his tongue slides in to tangle with mine. My arms have now made their way up and around his neck and I pull him to me tightly. No one has ever kissed me like this before; no one has ever made me feel like this before. Not even Kyle, and we were together for months. I have to say that now at least I know one reason for all the female attention that Max seems to get…

He is a great kisser.

Max has moved his hand from my arm to my lower back. Right now, his fingers are tracing small circles there and it feels…I can't even describe it. It's luxurious. I just want to stay like this forever, wrapped up in my best friend's arms.

Wait. Best friend. Max is my best friend! What am I thinking? I can't do this!

As much as I don't want to right now, I force myself to loosen my arms around his neck and break the kiss, pulling away slightly as I do.

"Liz," I feel Max's breath close to my lips as he whispers my name, but all I can think is that this was a really stupid thing to do. My eyes slide open and I extract myself from his arms.

"I…umm…I need to get ready for bed," I mumble. I can't bring myself to look at him; I'm afraid that if I do, I will make a complete fool of myself and blow this whole situation out of proportion. I slide off the bed and grabbing my nightclothes, I stumble towards the bathroom.

Once inside, with the door locked behind me, I sink down onto the lid of the toilet, my head in my hands. God, what did I just do? What did _we_ just do? My head is spinning and I'm beginning to feel sick; the beer is really not agreeing with me now.

Pushing all thoughts of Max and that amazing kiss to the back of my mind, I take my time changing and brushing my teeth, dreading the moment when I'll have to leave the safety of this bathroom and face him again.

I needn't have worried, though, because when I finally pluck up the courage to unlock the door and emerge from the bathroom, I find that Max has already passed out on his own bed, although on closer inspection, it appears that he was either too tired or too drunk to bother changing properly, since his jeans have been haphazardly dropped to the floor, but he is still clothed in the same T-shirt he's been wearing all day.

I shuffle over to my bed, the bed we were both occupying just a few short minutes ago and climb in, pulling the covers right up to my chin. With one last glance at Max, I reach over and switch off the light, sending the room into complete darkness as I fall into a restless slumber.

* * *

Max is already up and out of bed when I wake after my crappy night's sleep. I crack open one eye to see him packing his bags and trying (unsuccessfully, I might add) to make his bed at the same time. I let out a low groan as I pull myself up into a sitting position. My head is simultaneously pounding and spinning and I have no idea if I'll be able to make it to the bathroom without throwing up.

I carefully ease myself out of the bed and stumble towards the bathroom, too embarrassed to acknowledge Max on my way. When I reach the bathroom, I practically fall against the sink, using my hands to support my body and keep it upright. It's not fair! Why me? Max doesn't seem to be suffering with a hangover this morning; although, it's probably because he's more used to drinking beer than I am. Me? I'm usually a white wine and cocktails kind of a girl.

I wonder what he's thinking about this whole situation right now. I mean, how am I supposed to act around him now? Do I just pretend that nothing happened between us last night; that everything's normal? On the other hand, do I try to talk to him about it?

One thing I do know, is that it shouldn't have happened and it wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Max bringing back that beer last night.

I also know that it can't happen again. He's my best friend, it just wouldn't be right.

* * *

Well, it's official. Sunday June 29th 2002 has been _the_ most awkward and uncomfortable day of my life.

I have just survived almost eight hours alone in a car with Max, driving to San Diego. It should have only taken us about five-and-a-half hours, but stupid me decided that I was feeling well enough to drive (since it was my turn really) and ended up taking a wrong turn and getting us completely lost.

On top of all that, I've had to deal with the weight of Max's stare, which I've been feeling on me almost all day, and all these awkward moments when we both reached for the radio dial or a handful of potato chips at the same time, our hands brushing accidentally as we did.

I was too chicken to say anything to him before we left Scottsdale this morning. I probably should have brought it up with him, but I just couldn't pluck up the courage to do so and now I think I've made the whole situation much worse. Max has barely said two words to me all day, at least not anything that hasn't involved talking about stopping for food or complaining about the fact that I went the wrong way.

We finally reach the motel that we booked into before we left Roswell and I see that it's not nearly as nice as I'd hoped. It's not in a particularly nice area of San Diego – a fact proved by the adult entertainment bar/venue that is situated across the road, less than fifty yards from our hotel building.

Despite the area that we've ended up staying in, it's still not yet dark when we arrive and since neither Max nor I are in the mood for fatty, fried food, we set off on foot in search of a nicer place to grab some dinner.

We eventually find a Subway and order sandwiches, deciding to carry them back to the hotel before we eat. The journey there is spent in tense silence, neither of us saying a word to each other, but after we've ordered our food and start heading back, Max finally breaks the silence.

"Liz," he says quietly, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. I don't notice immediately that he is no longer walking with me and continue on regardless. "_Liz_," this time it's louder and more forceful and his arm shoots out to stop me. At the feel of his warm hand on my arm again, eerily mirroring his actions from last night, a ping shoots through me and I get this awful, anxious feeling in my chest. I force myself to remain calm, however, and slowly turn to face him.

He had this pleading look on his face and I can sense that whatever he's about to say is important.

"Max?" I question.

"Liz, I'm sorry," he blurts out quickly.

I don't understand, "Sorry? What for?"

He runs his free hand through his hair, frustrated. "For last night," he confesses. "I didn't mean to…If I hadn't brought that beer back…" he struggles for a second, eventually deciding on, "I'm sorry, I was in a bad place yesterday. I was having a bad day, I was feeling vulnerable and then you were there and – " he stops, letting out a sigh. "I'm just sorry, okay?" he finishes, removing his hand from my arm.

"But – " _But you weren't the one who started it. I was._ It's on the tip of my tongue to say, but for some reason I just can't get the words out. Saying them would imply that I might have some kind of feelings for him, and I don't. Have feelings, that is. I never have. "Okay," I sigh, agreeing with him.

"So," Max concludes. "Can we just forget about it? Pretend it never happened? We'll just think of it as a momentary lapse in judgement and leave it at that, alright?"

I smile weakly, "Alright," I nod and then ask, just to be sure, "Friends?" I hold out my hand for him to shake.

He smiles properly, taking my hand and nodding, "Friends."

We shake on it and then begin making our way back to the motel. We walk in silence again, but now the tension is gone.

I'm dying to ask him exactly what got him into that bad mood yesterday. I realised that _something_ wasn't right with him when he was rude to Aiden when they met. He's never acted that way in the entire time I've known him, which leads me to believe that something happened to upset him. But, I can sense that tonight is not a good time to bring it up.

Maybe tomorrow.

* * *

I don't get to talk to him tomorrow, though.

We spend the entire day sightseeing. We visit downtown San Diego and the Harbour area in the morning and the world famous San Diego Zoo in the afternoon. Nothing out of the ordinary happens while we're out and Max seems to be back to his usual joking self and although the normal, easy atmosphere usually present between us isn't quite back to normal, it's pretty close.

However, despite the fact that we were joking around again, as if nothing had happened the other night, I can tell that Max is completely avoiding the whole subject. He's deliberately leaving anyone's thoughts or feelings out of our conversations and only concentrating on the here and now; making lewd comments about the animals in the zoo and laughing at me when I drop my entire ice cream cone on the floor and in the process, splatter my nice, new, pale-blue top with half-melted chocolate ice cream.

I don't have the opportunity to talk to him properly until Tuesday.

* * *

_Day 9 - Tuesday July 1__st__ 2002 _

_I had a great time today - we went to Sea World! I'd been to the one in Florida with my aunt, but Max had never visited it before and we had fun exploring all the different sea creatures and watching the seal and dolphin shows. Max even dared me to walk through the Great White Shark tunnel, which I'd refused to do at the park in Florida. It wasn't that bad really, but I got my own back!_

_On another note, I finally found out what was bothering Max on Saturday. We were sitting there, at Sea World, waiting for the Shamu show to begin and he just blurted it out. I'd noticed that he'd been distracted most of today. He spent half the time snapping at me for no apparent reason and the other half just being his normal self; and now I know why…_

**Six hours earlier**

"Okay, Max, I walked through the shark tunnel for you; now it's my turn to choose where we go," I grab his hand and drag him towards my destination.

He gasps when he sees where we're heading and tries to pull away from me. "Aww, come on, Liz. You can't make me go over there! I won't do it," he warns, but I just keep tugging him along regardless.

"Hey," I turn to him. "You made me do something I didn't want to do; now you're going to do this for me. Think of it as payback," I smirk.

He turns his head fearfully towards the creatures currently residing in the pen in front of us and I have to bit my lip to contain a giggle.

Who would've guessed that Max Evans was scared of sea lions!

However, I know I'm the only person he's ever confessed his phobia to and I've been sworn to secrecy; not even his parents or Isabel know.

I force him to stand there and watch the animals as young kids and their parents dangle fish over the side, feeding them. I tease him about the fact that he can barely even look at them, let alone hold fish in front of their noses, but I worry that I've taken it too far when he suddenly shakes his arm, freeing it from my grasp and stalks off in the opposite direction.

"Max!" I call as I run after him. "Max, I'm sorry," I touch his arm from behind and make him turn to face me. "I didn't mean – "

However, he cuts me off, "That's just it, Liz! You never _mean_ to do anything, it always just happens!" he bursts out. He takes a deep breath and runs his hand through his hair, "Look, I know I shouldn't have made you go in that tunnel, but come on, Liz, I know you enjoyed it, really. You know how terrified I am of those...creatures," he shudders, "But you just couldn't leave it alone, could you?" his eyes are accusing and suddenly I feel about six inches tall.

"I'm sorry, okay?" I don't really know what else I can say.

He just nods stiffly and suggests, "I just need some time alone, Liz. I have a lot on my mind right now. How about we part ways for now and meet up again at four for the Shamu show?"

"Fine," I sigh. I don't really want to spent the next hour wandering around her on my own, but I can see that Max isn't the best company right now and maybe it would be best to give him some space for a while. I paste a smile onto my face, "I'll see you at four then, Max."

He gives me a small, appreciative smile before turning to walk away again. As I watch him leave, I realise that I really do need to talk to him and get him to open up to me about what's been bothering him lately.

* * *

It's just gone four when I finally make it to the whale pool for the Shamu show. As I approach the entrance, I see Max already standing there waiting for me. The previous tension in his shoulders seems to have disappeared and he looks more relaxed now. When I reach him, he gives me a sheepish smile and links our arms. We make our way into the standing area and as we spot somewhere to sit, he leans down and giving my arm a squeeze, he says softly, "I'm sorry about earlier, Lizzie. I didn't mean to get angry with you, it was my problem and I took it out on you. Can you forgive me?"

I smile up at him and squeeze his arm in response. "You're forgiven, Max," I tell him. "Just don't let it happen again," I say sternly, but with a wink, so he knows I'm just teasing.

We take our seats, but a quick glance at the time has me wondering why exactly we decided to meet at four. The show doesn't start until almost five. When I lean in to ask Max this, he just shrugs and mumbles something about wanting to get good seats, although he does look a little embarrassed that we're here so early.

Ten minutes later, I'm so engrossed in the pre-show advertising and information that's showing on the big screen in front of us that I almost jump out of my skin when Max's voice suddenly sounds from beside me.

"Tess called me," he states bluntly and I whip my head round to face him in bewilderment. "On Saturday," he elaborates. "Tess called me. She said something that upset me. That's why I've been in a bad mood lately."

My mouth forms a surprised 'oh', but I don't say anything yet. I'm just glad that he's telling me this.

"I didn't mean to take it out on you, Liz," the apologetic expression on his face is sincere. "It's just…I don't know what to do about Tess."

"What did she say to you, Max?" I question tensely. I think now might be the time for me to step up to do my best friend duty and have a little chat with the ex.

Max averts his gaze from me and looks out over the killer whale's water tank. "She's pregnant."

_TBC…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Part Four**

I am in shock. Max got Tess pregnant. I mean I knew he was probably sleeping with her, but it never really sunk in until he said those words.

"_She's pregnant."_

After he tells me that, he stands up and practically runs down the steps of the bleachers. I can do nothing but stare open-mouthed at his retreating back, frozen in my seat. My first instinct is to go after him, but I have no idea what I would even say when I caught up with him. So, I just stay there, glued to my seat and force myself to sit through the entire show, when really, it's the last place I want to be.

There is no sign of Max when I reach the park entrance after the show. I try calling his cell, but it's switched off so I assume that he left earlier and just hail a taxi for myself.

I don't see him immediately when I return to our room, but on closer inspection, I find him in the bathroom. He's sitting on the lid of the toilet, elbows on his knees his face in his hands.

I lean against the doorframe. "Max?" I whisper. "Are you okay?"

He lifts his head and I see the red-rimmed eyes and dry tear-tracks on his cheeks.

"Oh, hun," I cry and run forward to take him into my arms. "It's alright," I rub his back comfortingly. "We'll get you through this, okay? You don't have to worry; I'm here for you. I'll help you, with anything you need," I swear.

"It's not mine, Liz," he mumbles against my shoulder and I freeze at his words.

"What?" I pull back to look at him, releasing him from my arms.

"It's what I've been upset about. She's two months pregnant and it's not mine. She was cheating on me and she got pregnant."

I frown, "And she just called you up and told you this? What a bitch!"

He shakes his head, "No, not exactly. She told me that I was going to be a father and that she was counting on me to show her my support."

"Okay…" Something's not quite right here. "So, what makes you think she was cheating on you?"

He wipes his hand across his face and breathes in deeply. "Because I never slept with her, Liz."

Huh. Can't say I saw that one coming. "Max, if you didn't sleep with her, how exactly can she say that you're the father of her child?"

Max closes his eyes and I notice a flush of what I can only assume to be embarrassment appear on his cheeks. "She kind of thinks we did. Have sex, that is," he admits.

Okay, so this picture is just getting stranger by the second. How can a girl think she's had sex, when the guy (who is someone I would trust with my life) swears that they didn't do anything? How does that work, exactly?

I voice that last part out loud.

"The thing is, it was this night a couple of months back. We went to this party and Tess got really drunk," he says.

"The one at Tom's house," I recall. I had been there with Kyle that night and I noticed how much Tess was drinking. I remember feeling sorry for Max; that he had to spend the whole night looking out for her instead of enjoying the party.

He nods, "Yeah. Anyway, Tess was really out of it, so I took her home, put her to bed. But, she begged me to stay with her. She tried to…you know… with me, but she was drunk and I just…I didn't _want _to…it wasn't the right time…" He stumbles over his words as he speaks. "So…I stayed with her, I pulled off my shirt and jeans and slept in her bed. When she woke up the next morning, I guess she just assumed we'd…done it," he tells me. "We broke up a couple of weeks later and I've hardly spoken to her since."

I don't say anything; just rub his arm in comfort.

"And then she just calls my cell, right in the middle of our vacation and expects me to pay child support and help raise the baby! It's not even my child. She betrayed me!" he exclaims angrily. "And on top of all that, she calls me again this morning," I tilt my head in surprise. Why I didn't know about that? Max sees my expression and explains, "You were in the shower." Oh.

"I just can't believe she had the nerve to call me again! After I told her exactly where she could stick it the first time," he cries angrily. "Can you believe she tried to explain her way out of it? Tried to convince me that the baby was somehow mine? I mean, I think I'd know if I'd decided to give…to sleep with my own girlfriend!"

"Hey, Max, calm down," I pull him to me once again. "It's okay. It'll be okay," I reassure him, rubbing his back.

The nerve of that _bitch_! If I ever see her again, she is going down! No one uses my best friend like that. No one.

* * *

_Day 12 – Friday 4__th__ July 2002_

_We're still here in San Diego. We had originally planned to move on by now, but Max has been having a tough time this week and he hasn't really been up to travelling anywhere else, so we stayed here and took in more of the sights. We've decided to leave tomorrow and since today is Independence Day, tonight we're going to go back to Sea World for their celebrations and firework display._

_I'm trying to help Max through this thing with Tess the best I can, but he's having a hard time getting past what she's done. He's been pretty miserable this week, although today he woke up a little cheerier than usual. I think he's finally coming to terms with it and is realising that Tess cheating on him wasn't his fault._

_It's a gorgeous day today and right now, Max and I are sitting on the beach, although he's just staring out at the ocean while I'm writing this. I feel really bad for him; he's supposed to be enjoying this one last summer of freedom and now Tess has ruined that for him._

_Well, I m just going to have to do everything in my power to make sure he enjoys the rest of this trip._

We spend the rest of the day at the beach, just relaxing and chatting. After a lot of convincing, I even persuaded Max to go in the sea with me, despite his protest that it was way too cold. And you know what? He was right. It was fucking freezing! My reaction to the temperature got a laugh out of him, though, so my idea can't have been all bad. Unfortunately, I still haven't found my new bikini, so I was forced to wear a T-shirt and shorts again, which stuck to me uncomfortably after our foray into the ocean.

We have fun at the fireworks, too. It seems that Max is returning to his old self and for that, I'm glad. Maybe I can make him forget about all this.

In the morning, we head up to LA. Although it's only about ninety-five miles from San Diego, Max refuses to let me drive, insisting that he'd much rather be tired from driving than have to put up with me getting us lost again. After about twenty minutes of arguing with him about it, he finally persuades me to let him drive by bribing me with chocolate.

Anyone who knows me will know that I _never _turn down an offer of chocolate, especially the European stuff. My aunt (the one in Florida) visited the UK and continental Europe a couple of years back and brought back all this gorgeous chocolate, I fell in love with Cadbury's Dairy Milk and Galaxy and don't even get me started on the Belgian pralines!

Anyway, we're going to spend a few days exploring LA, visiting Universal studios and doing the Hollywood Tour (my idea) – Mann's Chinese Theater, the Walk of Fame, Sunset Blvd, the Farmer's Market, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica – all in the space of a few hours! Who knows? Maybe we'll get to see some celebrities or something!

* * *

_Day 13 – Saturday 5th July 2002_

_LA is so cool! I can't believe I'm actually here, in the entertainment capital of…well, the world, I guess! And right now, Max is reading this over my shoulder and rolling his eyes at me – yeah, Max, I know you're there! _

_Okay, he's gone now. It's a good thing I was only writing about this holiday and not anything that he could use to embarrass me later!_

_So, anyway, we made it to our hotel by midday today and we're just gonna stay here and relax for the rest of the day, maybe check out some shops for gifts – I promised Maria I'd buy her something 'LA' and tacky!_

_Okay, go to go now, Max is gesturing frantically at me to get a move on so we can check out the outdoor pool. He's even all ready to go, with his swim shorts on and a towel in hand. Me? I'm still in my normal clothes and I think my bikini must be buried somewhere deep in the bottom of my suitcase!_

I put down the pen I've been using and tell Max that I'm nowhere near ready yet so he should just go ahead and I'll meet him by the pool in a few minutes.

He lets out an annoyed huff, but turns to leave anyway, calling out a sarcastic, "Well, if you hadn't decided to spend the last twenty minutes writing in that thing, then maybe you would've been ready by now!" before he shuts the door behind him.

I just roll my eyes at the closed door and get off the bed, going in search of the missing blue bikini.

I eventually find it hidden in a pair of shoes. Whoever came up with the idea that rolling up your underwear and stuffing it in your shoes to save space when packing was seriously deranged. I've been looking for this bikini for weeks, ever since we left Roswell.

I get changed quickly, because I imagine Max is probably tapping his foot and checking his watch every five seconds, wondering where I am.

Wrapping my towel round my body and picking up my sunglasses, a book and my CD player, I make my way down to the pool. I find Max lying on one on the sun beds at the edge. His sunglasses are covering his eyes, which I assume are closed. The pool is pretty busy, but I can see that he's saved the chair next to him for me – his towel has been placed haphazardly on the side of it.

"Okay, I'm here now," I say, setting the sunglasses, book and CD player on the floor. Max's head jerks up at the noise; he's obviously surprised that I made it down here so fast. I turn around to remove my towel so I can place it on the sun lounger and lie on it.

"So, anything interesting happen out here while you were waiting for me?" I ask, but there's no response.

"Max?" I query and turn to face him. He still hasn't said anything yet, but he's just kind of looking at me. At least, I think he's looking in my direction. It's hard to tell when he's wearing those sunglasses. Maybe he's just spotted a cute girl across the way or something and is now trying to get her attention.

"I, um…hey Liz, you made it," he gives me a small smile and then stands up. "I'm just…gonna go for a swim, cool off…it's really hot out here, you know?"

I frown in confusion as he abruptly turns and heads for the pool. He dives smoothly into the deep end and begins a length of fast front crawl (well, as fast as you can go in a pool full of kids). I can do nothing but shrug at his strange actions, taking a seat as I grab my sunglasses and CD player and start on my book.

That boy is so weird sometimes.

* * *

_Day 16 – Tuesday 9th July 2002_

_Wow, we've had a busy couple of days! On Sunday, we did the Hollywood tour. It was really cool seeing all the places from the movies and TV shows. The tour bus drove us past Angelica Houston's house and Tom Hank's 'entertainment' home in Bel Air. We finished up on Venice Beach where they filmed Baywatch. I had to laugh when Max suddenly became _very_ interested in the surroundings when the tour guide informed us of that little fact!_

_Yesterday, we visited Universal Studios. It was really interesting seeing all of the sets props used for the movies on the backlot tour and the rides were great too, especially the Jurassic Park and Back to the Future ones!_

_But, guess where we're heading to now? _

_Disneyland!!_

_Okay, I know, it's kind of immature to be visiting Disneyland when we're on a post-high school, pre-college road trip, but I've always loved the place and although I can't get Max to admit it, I know he's excited about going too. After all, he was the one who, when we were ten, suggested that after we graduated high school, when we had jobs and were enormously rich, we should go and live in Disneyland – right there in Sleeping Beauty's Castle!_

_I can't wait to –_

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!"

The jeep jerks slightly and my pen slips as Max slams on the brakes. He's glaring angrily at the car in front of us that just pulled out unexpectedly and almost crashed into us.

"Bastard," I hear him mutter under his breath and I raise an eyebrow at him. He's normally a pretty laidback driver; he never gets road rage.

I don't know what's gotten into him the last couple of days. I thought he was getting better after last week; but since the weekend, he's been unusually snippy and sarcastic towards me. I mean, he's okay most of the time, like when we're out sightseeing and doing stuff, but in the evenings he's been kind of closing himself off. He'll just sit on his bed, his eyes glued to the TV, eating take-out. I want to help him, ask him what's wrong, but every time I try, he just dismisses my concerns as nothing and brushes it off.

I turn to watch the passing scenery. "No need to get angry, Evans," I mutter quietly, but he hears me anyway.

"What was that?" he asks sharply.

"Nothing," I say quickly; I know that tone of voice and the last thing I want to do right now is argue with him.

"No, you just said something about my driving. What was it?"

I sigh and gesture to the car ahead of us, "I said, no need to get angry."

"What, so I'm just supposed to be like you, all happy and perky _all_ the time? I can't have a bad day once in a while?" he questions stiffly.

"No, Max. That's not what I meant," I tell him, apologetically. "And is that what you think? That I'm always cheerful and carefree? I have problems too, you know, just like everyone else."

"Yeah, I suppose you must. After all, you spend so much time writing your thoughts and feelings down in that journal that you must have dozens of issues needing to be resolved," he retorts snidely.

Ouch.

I try to muffle the sharp gasp that escapes my mouth at his harsh words, in a desperate attempt to show him that I am unaffected by what he just said, but I'm unsuccessful. It really hurt. Is that what he really thinks of me? That all I do is write down problem after problem in my diary and then just go around pretending I'm happy and that nothing is ever wrong in my life? God!

I feel the sting of tears in my eyes and quickly turn to face away from him again. I don't want him to know that he's made me cry.

Usually this would be the point in our argument when Max (or I, if it was my fault) would say sorry and we'd just go back to normal. However, no apology comes and I don't say anything because, well, he's the one in the bad mood, not me.

The journey continues on in silence and I force myself to keep my head turned and not look at him. When we finally pull up at our hotel, my neck is stiff from being in the same position for so long. A quick glance towards Max in the driver's seat shows that he's obviously driven the whole way with his hands tightly gripping the steering wheel – his knuckles are almost white.

Given the frosty atmosphere currently between us, all I want to do right now is go to sleep and pretend this day never happened. Unfortunately, it's barely six and I'm starving, so going to bed now would be pretty pointless. But, I do have to get out of the car and away from this enclosed space, so, speaking the first words between us in almost an hour, I volunteer to go check us in. Max doesn't reply, but I see him give an almost imperceptible nod, which I take as an 'okay' and I get out of the car.

Ten minutes later, I return to find Max still sitting in the same position, his arms cross over his chest. I brace myself as I approach the vehicle; from the mood he's in, I know he's not going to like what I have to tell him. It seems there was a mix-up with our booking and the only room they have available has only one bed. Granted, it's a double, but it's still just one; which means we're going to have to share for the next four nights. Now, sharing a bed with Max is not something I've never done before, but it has been almost seven years since our last same-bed sleepover and I don't think the idea is gonna go over too well right now.

However, when I tell him what's happened, his reaction is not exactly what I'd expected. Well, it's more of a non-reaction really. He just sits there in total silence as I tell him and then, without a word to me, he simply opens his door and gets out, grabbing his bag from the back as he does so. Then he stands next to the jeep, waiting impatiently for me to join him. I sigh, gather my stuff and make my way to our assigned room. Max still says nothing; he just sets his jaw and follows behind me.

The minute we've entered the room and have put our bags down, Max announces that he's going for a walk and stalks out, leaving me staring after him in dismay. Maybe I should have said something after all, you know, to bury the hatchet or something.

The embarrassingly loud rumbling of my stomach (it's a good thing I'm alone in this room) brings me out of my thoughts. I really don't feel up to finding someplace to eat, so I grab my purse and make my way down to the motel reception, where I saw a couple of vending machines earlier. They only seem to stock junk food (God, I'll need to go on a diet when we get back home), but I buy a couple of Cokes and enough potato chips and cookies for the both of us, in case Max doesn't get anything to eat while he's out.

I wolf down the food as soon as I get back to the room and then start sorting through my suitcase. I've been getting really bad at being tidy with my clothes when we move between cities and now everything's a mess. However, when that's done (well, somewhat anyway), I find myself at a loss. For lack of any other ideas, I decide to take a shower. Maybe it'll help me relax.

Max arrives back to the room while I'm still in the bathroom, which startles me when I walk back into the bedroom, with one towel wrapped around my body and another positioned turban-style on the top of my head; I didn't hear him come in.

"Hey," I greet him quietly. He's standing by the bed, eyeing the mess of clothes spewing out of the suitcase disdainfully.

"Hey," he replies, so softly that I can barely hear him; but at least he said something, which is a start. Then he turns to me, his expression vague and raises an eyebrow. Not in a teasing way, though. No, this is more of an annoyed 'what the hell have you been doing in here?' look.

I'm _really_ not in the mood for this, so I brush him off.

"Look, just lay off, okay?" I sigh, as I walk past him and start searching for something comfortable to sleep in. "I thought maybe you'd be in a better mood by the time you got back, but I guess not, huh?" I look up from what I'm doing to find him watching me again. Uh oh, that twitch in his jaw has appeared – the one he gets when he's angry. He lets out a frustrated huff.

"If you're finished in the bathroom, I'm gonna take a shower," he states gruffly and swings his bag onto the tiny amount of space left at the edge of the bed. He unzips it and reaches in, immediately pulling out everything he needs. Bastard. How is he always so organised?

He stalks into the bathroom, practically slamming the door behind him. Okay, so maybe I feel a tiny bit guilty now. I really don't think I helped anything by talking to him like that.

I'm sitting up in the bed (the right side, of course) and reading my book, when he finally emerges from the shower. He's clad in a slightly damp t-shirt and boxers, his hair still a little wet. Glancing over at him, I notice how the shirt is clinging to him somewhat, his nicely muscled arms and chest showing through the thin material. However, I can't help but smother a giggle at the sight of his hair; it's sticking up in all directions.

He just glares at me in irritation when he hears me and then pulls back the covers on his side of the bed, slipping underneath them quickly. Without another glance in my direction, he turns over, facing away from me and then settles down to sleep. Concerned, I fix my gaze on the back of his dark head and frown. I can't believe we're arguing; well, not arguing really, it's more a case of not talking than arguing. In all the years that we've been friends, neither of us has ever given the other the silent treatment and it hurts that it's happening now.

I hope that tomorrow we can work this out; I'd hate for us to be angry at each other in the so-called 'happiest place on Earth'.

With a sigh, I close my book and turn out the light, settling under the covers myself. I take care to leave a safe distance between Max and I and roll over to face the window.

As I try to relax enough to fall asleep, the only thought running through my mind is that I'm going to have a long night ahead of me.

_TBC…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Part Five**

The first thing I become aware of when I wake up this morning is that I'm resting against something soft and warm and definitely not a cotton sheet. My eyes are still closed, but instinct tells me that a broad shoulder is propping up my head, my right arm is wrapped loosely around a trim, T-shirt-covered waist and judging by the leg hair I can feel brushing my calf, my right leg is tangled up with someone's else's.

Oh God, I'm curled up in bed with Max! My heart thumps in my chest as I realise my position in relation to him and my stomach lurches as I remember how we left things last night. I'm dreading opening my eyes and having to face him now.

The thing is, before our previous situation came back to me just now, I was just thinking about how comfortable and…safe…I was feeling as I stirred from my sleep; like waking up like this every morning would feel like the best thing in the world.

Oh my God, what's happening to me? I've never felt anything for my best friend before; I've never even wanted to. So why is this happening to me now?

It's not like he's going to be interested in me, or anything. I mean; have you seen the girls he's gone out with in the past? Okay, I suppose they were nice enough, but most of them were either on the cheerleading squad or were those tall, sophisticated, beautifully poised girls who held themselves with such an air of confidence that I could never compete with them. After being with them, what would he see in me; a five-foot-three, flat-chested, self-proclaimed science-geek? I also doubt he's particularly interested in a long-term, committed relationship right now, especially considering what just happened with Tess; and long-term and committed is kind of what I'd be looking for, if I was to enter into something new. I think I'm done with casual boyfriends for now. I want the real thing; I want someone I can talk to, someone who understands me, someone who loves me and I'm sorry, but none of the guys I've met recently seem much like the settling-down type.

My musings are put to a stop when I feel slight movement under my cheek. Max's hand flattens against my back and I can feel the muscles in his arm flexing against me. I cautiously open my eyes and peer up at his face, hoping against hope that he's still asleep and therefore I can shift positions back to my side of the bed without him ever knowing.

But, as my eyes meet his warm, hazel ones, I can see that my idea is not going to be possible. I break eye contact, bracing myself for the inevitable annoyed glare and brush off that I know he's going to send my way, but it doesn't come. When I look back up at him, I notice the barest hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

"Max?" I wonder, my voice coming out in a whisper. But he just shakes his head and places a finger against my lips, before dropping his hand to his side.

"I'm so sorry, Lizzie," he whispers back. "I don't know what happened to me yesterday. Maybe this whole 'living-in-close-quarters' thing we've been doing these last few weeks has just been getting to me," he pauses for a second. "But when I opened my eyes just now and saw you lying next to me, all innocent in sleep, I realised what a jerk I was to you; and after everything you've done to help me this last week, it was completely uncalled for," he gives me those puppy-dog eyes that he knows will get me every time.

I shake my head, "Max…" I never could stay mad at him for long. "Wait, you were watching me sleep?" I ask, slightly embarrassed. He doesn't say anything, but the shifty eyes and guilty expression give him away.

I watch him for a second, intrigued, but then my thoughts from a few minutes ago return and I suddenly feel uncomfortable and awkward in his presence. I carefully untangle myself from him and sit up, smoothing my hair self-consciously. What's going on today? I've never felt self-conscious in front of Max before.

I move to swing my legs over the bed, but a hand comes out to stop me, closing around my wrist. I close my eyes at the feel of it.

"Hey, where are you going?" asks Max.

I open my eyes again and turn to look at him over my shoulder, "Bathroom. I really have to go," I lie.

"Oh, okay," he says, releasing my wrist so I can stand up.

Once inside the bathroom, I brace myself against the sink and stare at my reflection in the mirror.

What the hell? I can't be falling for my best friend!

Can I?

* * *

It's really weird; when I emerge from the bathroom this morning, I find Max fully dressed and ready to go, a smile on his face like everything's back to normal. Honestly, I can't figure him out right now.

"What are you so cheerful about this morning?" I ask him suspiciously.

He shrugs, "I guess I realised that life's too short to get angry. I shouldn't have given you the silent treatment last night and I'm sorry that I was such a bastard to you. We're on this trip to have a good time and I don't want us to be fighting about stupid little things. We've never really argued before and I don't want us to start now," he finishes.

Wow. "And you came up with all this, in the five minutes I was in the bathroom?"

He looks down at his shoes for a moment, "Well, actually, it's kind of been on my mind for a few days, but I felt stupid bringing it up; I didn't want to sound like a girl or something," he states, but that twinkle in his eye has returned

My jaw drops in mock anger, "A girl?! What, like me, Evans? I'll have you know – " He cuts me off with a hand to my mouth as he spins me in the direction of my suitcase.

I feel his warm breath against my ear as he says quietly, "Just get dressed, Parker. I wanna go to Disneyland." See. I told you that deep down he was excited about this too.

I send Max out to get breakfast from the motel reception, where they provide Danish pastries and coffee for all the guests, while I get ready for the day. As I'm pulling on Capri pants and a tank top, I decide that I'm not going to dwell on whatever I may or may not be feeling for Max right now. It's never gonna happen, so why waste time agonising over it and risk ruining a fourteen-year friendship in the process?

When I leave the room to find Max fifteen minutes later, I take a moment to admire the gorgeous view of palm trees from our door. When my gaze drops down to seek out Max, I see him leaning against the rail at the bottom of the steps, a cup of orange juice in one hand and a sticky pastry in the other. He looks so adorable standing there waiting for me, his backpack looped over his shoulders that I almost drop my resolve and prepare to throw caution to the wind, but then he looks up and notices me and I know I have to stick to my earlier decision.

"Come on, Parker, get your ass down here," he calls up to me when I hesitate at the top of the steps. "Let's get going, already!"

I roll my eyes as I make my way down to him; looks like the old Max is back and raring to go. I can't resist playing with him a little, so I breeze past him and call back over my shoulder.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Evans? The park's about to open and you're just standing there with food in your hands!" I toss my head and smirk when I hear him swear and come after me.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I got these for you! And I've been holding them for the past fifteen minutes while you've taken your time getting dressed!" He's all offended now and I struggle not to laugh when he mutters, "Ungrateful bitch," under his breath before handing the cup and Danish to me.

"Oh, lighten up, Evans, I was only kidding," I reassure him, but he still looks put out. "I'm sorry, okay, I didn't mean to make you wait. But, thank you for getting breakfast for me, I appreciate it."

In an attempt to make everything seem normal with us, I link my arm with his like I've done for years and together we approach the park.

* * *

The day whizzes by and I'm having a great time. It's only early afternoon, but Max and I have already been on Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain (twice – it's my favourite), Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted House, Peter Pan and the Mad Hatter's Teacups! Now we're heading over to Disney's California Adventure Park. I've heard they have some great rides there. I really wanna go on the Soaring Over California ride and the Grizzly River Run. The California Screamin' roller coaster looks pretty cool too. I'm not too sure about the Tower of Terror though, I've never been good with vertical drops; or elevators, for that matter, but I'm sure Max is gonna try to persuade me to go on it. I'll just have to be strong and not give in.

We walk through the entrance into the park and Max immediately spots the sign to Soaring Over California. He grabs my arm and starts dragging me towards the Fastrack machines. We collect tickets for the ride and then grab something to eat while we're waiting. An hour and a half later, we emerge from the ride, expressions of awe on our faces; well, at least I assume that's what I look like, since I can't actually see myself.

I turn to Max, "Okay, now it's my turn to choose, so let's go check out the River Rapids!" I start walking in the direction of the rapids excitedly, leaving Max to trail behind me. Luckily, when we reach the entrance, the wait is only 10 minutes. As we wait in line, I observe the ride, which looks really cool; it even has drops and occasionally this huge geyser comes up out of the water and soaks whoever happens to be in that section of the water at the time!

"There is no way I'm letting that thing get _me_," says Max, as I watch the geyser completely drench an entire raft-full of people.

I laugh, "Max, if that thing shoots out of the water and we're right there, I don't think there's going to be any way for you to avoid it."

He snorts, "Yeah, well. We'll see."

I shake my head in amusement. "Well, you're about to find out, Evans," I say. "We're up next."

We get into the tyre-shaped raft, along with six other people and fasten our seatbelts. I look up and grin at Max, who's sitting next to me. "You ready for this?" I ask.

"Hell, yeah!" he grins back, before slapping his hand over his mouth, sending an apologetic glance towards the family with two young children, who are sitting opposite us.

Five minutes later, we get out of the boat absolutely soaked. The geyser actually went up underneath our raft and both Max and I got covered from head-to-toe in water! It's a good thing it's a gorgeously hot day today and therefore, it won't take long for us to dry off.

I squelch over to a bench and take a seat so I can remove my shoes. I'm suddenly glad I wore sandals today, unlike Max, who will now have to spend the rest of the day in saturated sneakers and wet socks. With a grumpy expression, Max comes to sit down beside me. First, he toes off his shoes and then peels his socks away from his feet. As I observe him doing this, I can't help but notice how nice his feet are, all perfectly formed and in proportion. The thought makes me smile.

"What?" he asks from beside me. My head snaps up as I realise that I was staring at his feet.

I shake my head, "Nothing!" I exclaim quickly. "Just thinking, that's all," I add and fix my gaze on the wall opposite us.

"Oh, okay," he looks slightly puzzled. "Liz?" he says after a beat.

"Yeah," I turn to look at him again. And stop. I can't tear my gaze away from him; he has this look in his eyes. I don't know what it means, but something about the way his eyes are fixed on mine is preventing me from looking away.

"I…" I wait expectantly for him to spit it out. "I…"

"Oh my God! Liz, Is that you? What a small world, eh?"

The unexpected sound makes me jump and my head whips round in surprise.

It's Aiden.

* * *

"Aiden? Wow, what are you doing here?" I exclaim in surprise. This is the last place I would have expected to run into him again.

He shrugs, his hands in his pockets, "Oh, I came down to visit my aunt and uncle here in California; and my annoying brat of a ten-year-old cousin," he rolls his eyes and gestures with his head to the excited young boy across the path who is currently jumping up and down in front of the souvenir shop window. "Insisted that I bring him here for the day."

I laugh, "Sounds like fun," I tease.

He gives a small snort and shakes his head, "Yeah," he says, raising his eyebrows. "So, what brings you here, Liz?"

I glance quickly at Max, who has a frown on his face and appears to be looking everywhere except in our direction, "Oh, just something we both wanted to do," I tell him. "I mean, who doesn't like Disneyland. Right, Max?" I ask and nudge him playfully. His head suddenly snaps in my direction, his expression surprised.

"Huh?"

"Honestly, Max. Pay attention," I nudge him and then nod in Aiden's direction "I was just telling Aiden why we decided to come here."

"Oh," he says, but offers nothing more. I look back at Aiden, standing near the bench we're sitting on, but his focus is now on Max.

"Hey, Max. Good to see you again," he holds out his hand to him, which Max shakes cordially.

"You too," he replies.

"Hope you guys enjoyed those beers the other night," Aiden adds, a twinkle in his eye. There is a moment's silence as we both avoid glancing at the other and shift awkwardly at the memory of that night. It looks like Max isn't going to say anything, so I jump in.

"Oh, yeah, we did. Thanks, Aiden, for buying them for us."

"Yeah. Thanks, man." Max seems to have found his voice again.

"Hey, no problem. Anytime," he says. "Just let me know if you guys would like anything for tonight."

"Oh, um," I shake my head quickly. "I don't think we'll need anything, but thanks for the offer."

"Sure," he says and then seems to notice something by the shop. "I'd, er…I'd better go rescue those poor girls over there from the clutches of my evil cousin."

I look over and sure enough, the boy is tormenting two small girls with a rubber snake. I snigger at the sight. "Yeah, maybe you should do that," I tell him.

He rolls his eyes at his cousin and squares his shoulders, "Okay, I've got to go brace myself for the ensuing argument. You guys have a great time and we'll keep in touch, right, Liz?" he asks and I nod.

"Sure thing."

He smiles briefly at me and then prepares to confront the ten-year-old. "Right, wish me luck," he says and makes his way over to the shop.

I smile at his retreating back and watch as he tries to grab his cousin. It's only when I hear an irritated cough coming from beside me that I remember Max is still sitting next to me.

"Oh, sorry Max," I turn back to him. "We were in the middle of something, weren't we? What were you going to say just now?"

"Oh um, it was nothing," he says. He seems reluctant to say anything more, so I don't push him.

"Oh, okay. So you wanna go get an ice cream and head over to the pier and arcades while we dry off?" I suggest, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He looks over at me, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Sure," he stands up and holds out a hand to me. "Let's go."

* * *

_Day 18 – Thursday July 11th 2002_

_It's three-fifteen in the morning and I can't sleep. Right now, I'm sitting in the chair by the window, the small, dim table lamp providing just enough light for me to write this. Max is asleep on the double bed in the middle of our room and I'm spending more time watching him than writing this journal entry. _

_I feel really awful for what happened last night._

_Max and I were on our way back to the hotel, when my cell phone rang. It was Aiden. He'd dropped his cousin home and had the evening free. He asked me to dinner and a movie and I said yes. I didn't even think about leaving Max alone for the night, or how he might feel about me just abandoning him like that. All I was thinking about was getting my mind off the growing feelings I was having for him and going out with Aiden seeming like the best way to do that._

_Don't get me wrong, Aiden is a great guy; I had fun with him and when he kissed me at the end of the night, I didn't pull back, at least not right away. But the second I walked through the door of our motel room at just gone midnight and saw Max's face; I knew I'd made a bad decision. He was annoyed with me and we ended up getting into a full-blown argument._

_Now I'm torn. Half of me is saying 'just get over it and tell him what you're really feeling', but the other half is telling me 'what good would that do, he's your best friend and suggesting anything more could ruin everything." I just don't know what to do anymore…_

With a troubled sigh, I close the journal and move to stash it back in my suitcase. I take one last look at Max, sleeping peacefully, before I lift the covers of my side of the bed and slide beneath them. Max is turned on his side, facing me and I gaze at the contours of his face; the flawless slope of his nose, those oh-so-kissable lips and his strong, defined jaw line. I can't resist leaning over and placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Max," I whisper. "For everything. I hope you can forgive me," I say softly. "Sweet dreams."

I smile at the innocent, untroubled look on his face for a second, before I turn over and let sleep overtake me.

We're both in better moods when we wake up a few hours later and the subject of Aiden and our argument doesn't come up at all. I think we both just want to forget about it and put it behind us. We spend another fun day at Disneyland and although there's still some tension between us, Max spends most of the time cracking jokes and coming up with dirty comments about the Disney characters. We don't speak about our personal lives at all.

Since it's our last night here, we decide to eat dinner at the Rainforest Café in Downtown Disney. The food is really great and there is an aquarium right in the middle of the restaurant! The atmosphere is light between us as we walk back to the motel and I can't help but admire the gorgeous sunset, which, with the palm trees at the side of the road, creates a beautiful landscape. I'll miss this place when we leave for San Francisco in the morning. It's a long drive up there, so I've insisted on doing some of the driving, which after a lot of convincing, Max finally agreed to on the condition that we switch before we reach the city so as to avoid a repeat of San Diego. We've arranged to meet up with Isabel while we're up there, since she's already left Roswell for her pre-college summer course.

By the time we reach our room, Max has me in stitches of laughter at his impression of a pirate – I think we did Pirates of the Caribbean one too many times! I unlock the door and we stumble through. I barely make it to the bed before I kick off my shoes and fall back onto it in exhaustion. Max pops into the bathroom and I close my eyes tiredly as I wait for him to come back.

A minute or two later I hear the door open and close again, but I don't feel like opening my eyes just yet; I'm too comfortable. But it seems Max has other plans.

"Hey, Liz?" he asks.

"Mmm?"

"This trip – its been the best thing I've ever done; I want you to know that," he sounds hesitant and in curiosity, I force my eyes open and sit up on the bed. He's standing by the bathroom door, his hands in his pockets. His hair is all messed up, as if he's just run his fingers through it and he looks so cute. "I know we've had our differences these past few days and I know that it's been mainly my fault – " I open my mouth to protest, but he beats me to it. "And I just wanted to tell you that there's no one else I'd rather be doing this with." He shakes his head, "Not Michael, or even Izzy. I don't think I'd last a week living with either of them!"

I smile at his joke and my heart warms as his words register. What did I ever do to deserve a friend like him?

"Me either, Max. God, can you imagine Maria and I spending all that time on the road, alone? I'd go crazy!" I exclaim. I feel slightly bad about saying that about my best girlfriend, but I know how she can be sometimes. "So, you think we can put our differences behind us now and start again, no bad feelings?"

He grins, "Sure, no problem. It's all forgotten."

Unable to help myself, I grin back at him and pat the bed next to me. "Hey, come on, sit down. Let's have a relaxing evening in front of the TV, so we can be all refreshed for tomorrow."

"Okay," he replies and comes to sit beside me. We adjust our pillows and lean back against the headboard. I reach for the remote and begin flicking through the channels in hope of finding a halfway decent movie to watch.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?" I stop flicking and turn to face him.

"Can I ask you a question? It's kind of personal," he queries.

"Well, I suppose it depends on the question, but go ahead, try me," I reply, curious as to what he wants to know.

"What happened with you and Kyle? I mean, why did you guys break up?"

I frown. I'm not exactly thrilled to be talking about the subject. "Why do you want to know?"

He shrugs and looks towards the TV screen. "It's just…we never really talked about what happened between Tess and I or between you and Kyle back then; and well, you know about Tess now and I was wondering if perhaps Kyle did something similar to you and maybe you might wanna talk about it…or something?"

I give a small smile at his thoughtfulness, but then the memory of how Kyle and I ended comes back to me. My face falls and I shake my head, "No. There was no cheating anything like that; not from his side, or from mine," I tell him quietly. "It was me," I confess. "I broke it off with him."

Max looks puzzled, "But, you were upset after it happened; I thought he'd been the one to – " he breaks off his rambling abruptly, running his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – What happened?"

"He wanted more from me than I was able to give," I start. It's hard to put this into words.

"God, Liz. He didn't…you know, _force _you, or anything did he?" Max cuts in suddenly and seeing the horrified look on his face, I realise that my words gave him the wrong impression.

"Oh! No, Max," I shake my head, vigorously. "Nothing like that. He told me he was in love with me. But, I just didn't feel that way about him; I mean, yeah, we were sleeping together and I really cared for him, but I wasn't in love with him, so I– "

"Wait, you slept with Kyle?" My eyes snap to him as he cuts me off, but his expression is unreadable.

"Well, yeah," I tell him with a small laugh. "It's not like I'm a complete nun or anything, Max. I do know how to have fun."

"Was he the first?" asks Max quietly.

I roll my eyes, "Geez, what is this, twenty questions?" I ask. He doesn't respond, just keeps looking at me. "Fine! No, Kyle wasn't the first. That honour went to Robert Caldwell in the tenth grade."

Max sinks back against the headboard, his eyes flickering around the room and I wonder what he's thinking.

"Why didn't you tell me about any of this?" he asks softly.

"It wasn't something I ever really felt comfortable talking to you about, Max. You may be my best friend, but you're still a guy and there are some things you just don't talk about with a guy. I never asked you about _your_ sex-life and you never asked me about mine."

"That because I thought you didn't _have_ one!" he exclaims and then covers his mouth with his hand. What?

"You thought I was a virgin?" I ask incredulously.

"Well, yeah," he states, as if it should have been obvious. "You're my Lizzie, you're not supposed to grow up and have adult relationships." Touched as I am that he wants to protect me, this isn't 50 years ago and girls these days are not all sweet and innocent anymore and I tell him as much.

"Yeah, I know," he replies. "But I still don't like the thought of you…doing stuff with those guys."

I snort, "Well, you're going to have to accept it, Max. I'm 18 years old and I can make my own decisions. It's not like I particularly want to hear the details of all your little liaisons, either."

"My…what?" he looks at me in confusion.

"Oh come on, Max, I'm not stupid. I have a pretty good idea why none of your relationships, bar Tess of course, have lasted longer than a couple of weeks."

His eyes narrow, "You think I…"

"Didn't you?"

_TBC…_


	6. Chapter 6

**Part Six  
**

"_Didn't you?"_

Max looks away from me and leans his head back against the headboard. He seems to be struggling with something and I almost ask him straight out why he's having such a hard time admitting to something that I know he's done. I open my mouth to say something, but he speaks first.

"No, Liz. I didn't," he says quietly.

What? "You…didn't," I repeat.

He shakes his head, a slight movement, "I didn't sleep with any of them. I'm…I'm a virgin, Liz." He closes his eyes as he finishes, as if it's too embarrassing for him to admit face to face.

I feel my mouth opening and closing repeatedly, but no sound comes out. Max is a _virgin_? My entire world has just been thrown off balance. Everything that made sense in my life before this moment is now completely foreign to me.

How is it that Max Evans and I have been best friends for so long and it turns out that we don't even know each other? At least, not where it counts. All those deeply buried thoughts and feelings that two people who are as close as we are supposed to be, should share; we didn't share with each other.

Suddenly I feel like the world's worst friend. I know I just told Max that there were some things that men and women just didn't talk about, but come on! I feel like the entire picture I had of Max in my head is now completely wrong. It feels like I've never really known him and I wonder if maybe, right this moment, Max is having similar thoughts about me.

"Y – You're…" I can't get anything more out and when I don't continue, Max looks at me, trepidation visible in his eyes. He nods sombrely. "But…Why?" I blurt out, unthinking, but then I realise how it sounds and backtrack quickly. "I mean, you're eighteen, you're a guy, you've had a string of gorgeous girlfriends, none of which have lasted more than a month; I guess I'm just a little shocked, that's all."

"I…I just…" he lets out a huge sigh. "God! This is hard. I never expected to _ever_ have this conversation with you, Parker."

As eager as I am to hear his answer, I have to take a moment to revel in the feeling that his informal use of my surname gives me. It's almost playful and it reminds me how close we are. How easily we can usually talk to each other and how comfortable we always have been in each other's presence.

I reach over and touch his arm, just below the elbow. "Hey, _Evans_," I stress, teasingly, before turning serious. "You know you can talk to me, I'm not gonna judge you, or laugh at you. I promise."

He stares at me thoughtfully, "I know."

When he doesn't continue, I lower my head slightly and raise my eyebrows expectantly.

He looks down and I see his eyes linger on my hand still resting on his lower arm. I lift it off him and his gaze lowers to his hands. "This is probably going to sound kinda pathetic and not very masculine, but I've always believed that you should be in love with the person you decide to sleep with," he says and a wave of shame washes over me, because up until a couple of years ago, that's what I'd believed too. It's funny how life doesn't always turn out the way you expect. "Sure, I could have easily pushed that belief aside and had sex with the girls I went out with, but that's not me, Liz," he looks up at me again then. "I wouldn't have felt comfortable being that close to them physically, when I wasn't close to them mentally and emotionally," he admits. "I know that makes me sound like a complete girl, but I can't help the way I feel. And it's not like I'm saving myself for marriage or anything, I'm just waiting for the right girl."

Wow. I think that's the most he's opened up to me about his personal thoughts and feelings, ever. My heart clenches in my chest as I realise how hard it must have been to confide all that in me. "Max," I start, but further words fail me.

I can see a flush starting to rise from his neck, up into his cheeks and he looks away again, "Don't, Liz, don't say anything, I don't think I could handle it."

"No, Max, that's not what – " I place my hand on his shoulder and his head turns towards me once again. His gaze lingers briefly on my hand before it reaches my face. "It's not stupid, or girly or anything like that. I actually admire you," I tell him and his expression turns sceptical. I shake my head, "No, I mean it. Unlike me, you didn't give in to peer pressure and the teenage desire to grow up quickly; you've stuck to your beliefs and I admire that."

His expression becomes incredulous and I can tell that he's relieved. I smile at him gently, before making a swift decision and wrapping my arms around him in a hug. At his lack of response, I realise that he's surprised, but it only takes a second for his body to relax and I feel his arms come around me, his chin resting against my shoulder.

"Thank you, Liz," he whispers close to my ear and I nod.

"No problem, Max," I whisper back and hold him tighter to me.

We sit there like that in silence for a couple of minutes, but then my back starts to ache from being in this position and I groan, so we both pull back and grin at each other.

Max is the first to break the silence, "Boy, am I glad Michael and Alex aren't around right now!" he exclaims, and the horrified expression on his face at the prospect of them finding out about this conversation makes me burst out laughing.

"So," I say when I've calmed down. "Now that's out of the way, what do you say we get started on finding that perfect girl you've been waiting for?"

I was only joking, but his smile fades and his expression turns serious, thoughtful, a far away look in his eyes.

"Hey, Max," I wave my hand in front of his face to get his attention. "What did I say?"

He shakes his head and focuses on me again, "What? Oh nothing. It doesn't matter," he smiles at me and then relaxes back on the bed, concentrating on the TV screen again. He grabs the remote from where I placed it down on the bed and flicks through until he finds a movie that we both like. I settle down next to him to watch it and it's thirty minutes before I realise that he never answered my question. However, I'm too tired to think about it now; I can talk to him about it another time.

* * *

_Day 20 – Saturday July 13th 2002_

_After a long day of driving yesterday, we finally made it to San Francisco. True to his word, Max let me drive most of the way, only insisting that we switch when we were an hour or so away from the city, which although I'd never admit it to him, I was glad about, because by that time I was exhausted!_

_Despite my tiredness from driving for so long, we had a great day yesterday. Ever since our talk on Thursday night, the atmosphere between us has been lighter than ever and all the tension that was present between us just a few days ago has now completely dissipated. We spent the whole day laughing and joking around and Max seemed happier than I've seen him in weeks, or even months, for that matter._

_Last night, we checked into a motel on the outskirts of town for some much needed rest (luckily, in separate beds this time) and today we're going to meet up with Isabel at her college. That is, when Max decides to wake up and get his ass out of bed!_

_You know what? I give up. I'm off to take a shower._

When I come back from my shower, a towel wrapped around me because I stupidly forgot to take any clothes into the bathroom with me, I find Max still asleep on his stomach. The left side of his face is squashed against the pillow and his mouth is open in an unflattering position. His right hand is tucked under his chin at an odd angle and his leg is half off the side of the bed, poking out from under the covers. Usually the sight of him like that would have made me snort and roll my eyes, but for some reason, today I think he looks cute.

With a shiver, I realise that I'm still wearing only a towel and the air conditioning is blasting from the wall beside me. I make my way over to my suitcase and pull out a skirt and top, along with some clean underwear. Not really keen on going all the way back over to the bathroom to change, I take a quick peek at Max, who is still fast asleep and facing away from me and decide to just go for it and get changed right there.

When I'm done, I throw another glance over at the other bed and let out a sigh of relief; Max hasn't moved an inch. A peek at the clock on the table between our beds shows that it's only eight-fifteen, and we're not meeting Isabel until eleven. It doesn't look like Max is going to get up any time soon, so I scribble a short note for him and decide to go for a walk. There's not much to see where we're staying, but the sun is shining and it's a nice, warm day, so I just go for a wander.

I walk for about 20 minutes and end up at this small diner at the side of the road. Knowing that Max will most likely wake up hungry and acknowledging the fact that my stomach is rumbling, I go in and order two take-out breakfasts. When I return to the hotel at nine o'clock, I find Max is finally up and dressed.

"Hey, I'm back," I call. "I brought breakfast."

There's no reply and I look up from balancing the food in my hands to see that he has his nose buried in a book. Wait! That's _my _book! Oh God, this is embarrassing; he's found the romance novel that I was trying to read without him noticing. I place the breakfast boxes down by the TV and lunge for the book.

"Hey, that's mine, Evans! Give it back," I cry.

He looks up from the page and gives me a mischievous grin, "Is it now? You know what? I don't think I will, it was just getting interesting," he says and begins reciting from it, "_she watched hungrily as he pulled the wet T-shirt over his head, a gasp escaping her lips as his washboard stomach came into view. She felt the familiar warmth spread through her stomach, moving lower as he caught her gaze and began walking towards her. Licking her lips in anticipation, she let out a helpless sigh as his head lowered to hers and he kissed her – " _I snatch the book from his hands and quickly hide it in my backpack.

"Hey, I was reading that!"

"Not anymore," I grate, my teeth clenched.

Max raises his eyebrows, "Looks like someone might be a little frustrated right now," he quips. "And I'm not just talking about your current mood."

I gasp, offended, "I am _not_ frustrated," I tell him. "And anyway, look who's talking!" I retort, but the moment the words leave my lips, I regret them. I open my mouth to apologise, but he doesn't look offended or upset. He's grinning.

"That's what my hand's for, Parker."

Oh, eww. I so did not need to hear that.

"Max! Oh my God, that's disgusting! I did not need to know that," I exclaim, but he's just sitting there smugly, his arms crossed over his chest and a thought occurs to me. "Oh God, you haven't…while we've been living in the same motel room, have you?"

He smirks and I realise he's enjoying my discomfort. "And what if I have?" I make a face at him, although I'm mortified to admit that a small part of me is aroused by the thought of him – my God! I am a disgusting person!

"Oh, relax, Lizzie!" he rolls his eyes at me. "I haven't done anything, okay?" he starts laughing, "But that look on your face when I said it…"

"Okay, okay! So this is 'let's all embarrass Liz' day is it? Fine, well now you've done your job," I huff. "So let's eat breakfast and get going, shall we?"

Max just smirks at me and gets off the bed, reaching for the food I brought back with me; tucking in, he lifts an eyebrow in my direction.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Parker? We haven't got all day, you know!"

I roll my eyes again, this time in exasperation and turn to eat my breakfast.

* * *

It's eleven-fifteen by the time Max and I find Isabel's residence hall in the middle of the city. Although we've been joking around and making fun of each other all morning and not really thinking about much else, I know that Max is both excited and anxious to see his twin sister again. Before this summer, the longest they'd spent apart from each other was the odd girls- or guys-only camping weekend with their friends and we've been away for almost three weeks now. Honestly, I have no idea how they're both gonna cope, living over a thousand miles from each other for the next four years.

As we leave the jeep and make our way towards the building, Max spots Isabel and another person standing in front of the lobby, waiting for us. He grabs my arm and urges me to keep up.

"C'mon, Liz, I can see her," he says urgently and then frowns slightly. "I wonder who that guy is. The one standing next to her" he says, going into protective brother mode.

I glance over at them, a smile appearing on my face, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about him, Max."

"What?" he looks at me quizzically. Obviously, he hasn't noticed yet.

I shake my head, "Never mind."

As we get closer, he lets out a sound of understanding, "Oh."

"See, I told you, nothing to worry about. It's just Alex."

Wait, did I just say _Alex_? As in Alex Whitman? What's he doing here?

We finally reach them and Max lets go of me, pulling his sister into a hug. I watch them for a moment before turning to greet our other friend.

"Hey, Alex," I reach up and hug him. "What are you doing here? Not that I mind of course, but this is unexpected."

When I release him, he shrugs awkwardly, glancing at Max and Isabel. "You know, I had a few days off and I was missing Izzy so I called her and she invited me up here to stay with her."

I raise my eyebrows and glance at Isabel, "Stay with her? As in…?" I trail off, unable to voice my thoughts.

But he nods, "Yeah," he says with a dreamy smile and I grin. The boy has it bad! "But don't tell Max, okay? You know how overprotective he can get," he asks, his expression worried.

I shake my head, "Of course. I won't say anything. But if he finds out on his own, you can't blame me, okay?"

"Okay. Deal?" he holds out his hand and I shake it.

"Deal."

He leads me to a nearby bench and we sit.

"So, enough about me. How's _your_ trip going? Where have you been so far? What have you seen? You and Max get it on yet?" he fires the questions quickly and I have trouble keeping up.

"Well, it's been great so far. We've visited – " I stop. "Wait. _What_ did you just say?"

He grins at me. "You and Max. Anything been happening there?"

My mouth drops open in shock and I shove his arm. "Alex! What is the matter with you? Max is my best friend! You know perfectly well that there's nothing like that between us. How could you even suggest something like that?"

But that smirk is still on his face. "Are you sure about that, Liz?" he asks, his gaze fixed somewhere behind me. I turn to see what he's looking at, and my eyes fall on Max and Isabel, now involved in an intense, hushed conversation. My gaze meets Max's and he offers me a small smile before turning back to his sister again. She looks irritated and it looks like she's nagging him about something; I'll have to ask him about that later.

"Liz?" I turn back to Alex again to find him watching me intently. His gaze makes me slightly uncomfortable as I think about what he's just been implying. I feel really self-conscious now, not least because Alex's words have brought up thoughts and feelings that I've been trying to ignore for the past few days.

"Alex," I say with a smile. "Just drop it, okay? Nothing's going on," I tell him, but I'm not sure whether I'm trying to convince him or myself.

I take a quick look in Max and Isabel's direction again. It seems the conversation is over and now Isabel is making her way over to us, Max trailing behind her.

"Liz," she exclaims brightly and pulls me into a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Iz." I reply. "How's summer school going?"

"Oh, it's great! I love it here!" she tells me excitedly and loops her arm with mine. "Come on, I'll show you my room."

We head off into the building, leaving Alex and Max to greet each other and follow us when they're ready.

"So, you and Alex, sharing a room; sharing a bed?" I ask with a grin as we step into the elevator.

She returns the grin and sighs. "Yeah…It's great, isn't it?" she says. "I'm so happy right now, Liz."

"I can tell. You two make a great couple, Iz," I tell her. She frowns slightly and opens her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell Max."

She lets out a sigh of relief, "Whew, thank you, Liz. I don't think I'm ready to deal with him knowing just yet."

"Your secret's safe with me," I tell her sincerely as the elevator doors open and we walk down the corridor to her room.

"Well, here we are," she says, opening the door. I step inside and look around. It's really nice, considering it's student accommodation. Isabel has made it feel really homey and it looks lived-in. I walk around, admiring the photos and pictures on her walls, but stop when I hear her gasp behind me.

"Oh, shit."

"What?" I whip round to face her.

"Alex's stuff!" she points to the floor and bed where his clothes and belongings are scattered around. "Max is going to be up here any minute! Liz, you have to help my hide this stuff," she pleads.

"Okay, quick. Let's put it, um…" I look around helplessly.

"The closet!" she exclaims and I nod. We hastily gather up Alex's things and shove them in the cupboard, slamming it closed just as the door opens and the guys step through. Whew! That was close.

Isabel gives Max a quick tour of the room and we settle down on the bed, comfy chair and desk chair to discuss what we're going to do while we're here.

"Okay," Isabel starts. "I thought we could do some sightseeing this afternoon – the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, etc and then we can go out for dinner this evening. There's this really great Mexican place down the road that we can go to. Their food is to die for!" she exclaims. "Oh, and we'll have to go shopping for something to wear," she muses and I smother a giggle at the mortified look that the guys exchange.

I straighten my face quickly and turn to Isabel, "That sounds like a great idea, Iz. I can't wait!"

She grins proudly, "Okay, just let me grab my purse and we'll get going," she chirps and Max and Alex groan from their positions on the chairs.

* * *

We've had a brilliant day, doing the tourist thing around San Francisco, although the hills in this city are _not_ pleasant to walk up! It's fun being with Isabel and Alex again, laughing and joking, as if we'd never left Roswell; although, I think something must be up between Isabel and Max. They keep having these hushed conversations and lagging behind Alex and I. A couple of times, I notice Max getting annoyed with her, shrugging out of her grip and walking quickly to catch up with us. Another time, I look back to check they're still behind us and I find them standing still, their eyes fixed on me…or maybe it was Alex, I'm not sure. Oh God, what if Max has somehow guessed the state of Alex and Isabel's relationship and is pulling the big brother routine again (despite the fact that Isabel is four minutes older than him)? I'm going to have to have that talk with him soon.

However, right now I'm sitting on the bed in Isabel's bedroom, wrapped in a bathrobe, while she does my hair and make-up for dinner. Max and Alex are getting ready back at our motel room and are coming to pick us up in half an hour While it's been nice not having to worry about curling my hair or making sure my mascara isn't smudged these past few weeks, I've missed getting dressed up to go out and I'm savouring every minute of Isabel's pampering treatment.

"Okay, all done!" she exclaims, holding up a mirror for me to admire her handiwork. Wow, I look…great! She's done a brilliant job. My hair is down and curled slightly; it's flowing over my shoulders gracefully and my make-up is…_perfect_, I look all…sultry…is the only word I can come up with.

"Wow, thanks Isabel. This looks so great!"

"What did I tell you?" she grins. "Okay, now you get into your new dress and I'm gonna finish _my_ hair and make-up."

"You need any help?" I offer, wanting to thank her.

She smiles, "No offence, Liz, but I think I'd better do it myself. Go get changed," she urges.

You'd think I _would_ be offended by her comment, but she's right. I don't know the first thing about applying sexy make-up; I'm much more of a natural-look girl. I reach for my new outfit and release it from the hanger. It really is a gorgeous dress; it's long and silky and a deep shade of dark-blue. I step into it and loop my arms through the thin straps. I can't wear a bra with it because the back is barely there, but that's okay since I don't have much up top anyway. I reach for the strappy sandals that Isabel has lent me for the evening and fasten them around my ankles. Standing up, I walk across the room and stop in front of the full-length mirror fixed to the inside of her closet door.

I smile. I love the way the dress hangs on my body, hugging my torso and waist before flowing down to the floor. Realising I'm missing something, I reach over to the desk and pick up the dangly earrings and matching necklace that Isabel has also lent me. There, I'm ready. Now if only Isabel would hurry up.

Fifteen minutes and one near make-up disaster (involving clumpy mascara and out-of-control lip-liner) later, she's finally ready and there is a knock at the door. Isabel gets up to open it, giving Alex a 'good evening' hug and kiss, before letting both he and Max in. I stand nervously next to the bed; I've never been that comfortable going out in public all dressed up like this, but the moment I set my eyes on Max, my body relaxes. He's wearing a dark suit and tie, his hair neatly teased into place and a grin on his face as he jokes with Alex about how long it takes women to get ready.

But the laughter seems to die in his throat as his eyes lock with mine and the grin disappears briefly before it is replaced by a warm smile that, for some reason, turns my insides to jelly.

"Liz…" I hear him whisper and I wait for him to continue, but nothing else comes. He's still staring at me and I can't find the strength to look away. I don't know what's going on here, but, you know what? Right now, I don't care.

_TBC…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Part Seven**

"Wow, Liz. You look great!" Alex's voice snaps me out of my staring trance with Max and I tear my eyes away to look at him.

"Well, you don't look so bad yourself, Alex," I say.

"Okay, everyone. We're all ready now, so let's get going," exclaims Isabel suddenly. "Alex, walk me out?" she asks, extending an arm to him.

"Sure," he smiles and slides his arm under hers.

I turn to look at Max again, and almost jump when I realise that he's moved a lot closer to me. "You ready?" he asks, holding his arm out as well.

"Sure," I say, my voice unintentionally coming out soft and breathy. Our arms link together and he leads me out of the room behind Alex and Isabel.

Once downstairs, we pile into the jeep, Isabel and Alex in the back, Max and I in the front, and head to the restaurant. We pull into the parking lot and Isabel, with Alex on her arm, goes on ahead to check on the reservations, leaving Max and I to follow. As I adjust my handbag on my shoulder and start walking towards the restaurant entrance, I'm surprised when a warm hand comes to rest on the bare skin of my back. I shiver at the contact and turn my head slightly to find Max standing close to me, guiding me towards the door. Trying to ignore the tingles that the movement of his thumb against my back is sending up my spine, I turn my face forward again and concentrate on the building in front of me.

My efforts are dismissed, however, when Max leans down to me, his hot breath tickling my cheek, "Liz, you look…" he pauses briefly. "It's like Alex said: Wow," he breathes.

An embarrassed smile plays on my lips and I feel a blush rising up to my cheeks. I glance up at him out of the corner of my eye, but he has straightened up and is now staring directly ahead. I take a breath to say something, _anything_ in reply, but the waiter at the door interrupts us and the moment passes.

Dinner is a pleasant affair; just as Isabel said, the food is delicious and conversation flows easily. Isabel and Alex quiz us on the places we've been to over the last few weeks and I pass around the photos that I had developed when we were in LA. They ooh and ahh over the pictures and tell us how jealous they are. I ask Isabel about college life and she gives me some tips for when I start at Harvard. The gorgeous dessert is almost ruined by the fact that Max and Alex decide to crack dirty jokes and introduce innuendo to every item on the menu, especially the colourfully named cocktails on the wine list.

All through the evening, I have this almost overwhelming feeling of warmth and happiness, like there's nowhere else I'd rather be than right here, right now, laughing and having fun with three of my closest friends. The feeling is strengthened by the frequent glances and smiles that Max keeps sending in my direction. I look down at my mouth-watering slice of double chocolate gateau and feeling the warmth of Max's latest look, I realise that I don't want this night to end.

* * *

After dinner, we drop Isabel and Alex back at her dorm room. Max tries to persuade Alex to let him take him back to his own hotel, but Alex insists that it's only a couple of blocks from Isabel's place and he will be fine to walk it. Luckily, Max accepts his explanation and drives them both to the residence hall. I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from smiling at Alex's story, knowing full well that there is no hotel round the corner and that the only bed Alex will be sleeping in tonight is Isabel's.

Max and I drive the rest of the way back to our motel in silence. I'm too caught up in the feelings that Max seems to be inducing in me tonight, to even consider making small talk with him, while he looks deep in thought. I decide that he probably wouldn't hear me even if I did try to start a conversation with him.

When we pull up outside our motel, Max turns off the engine and glances in my direction, giving me a small smile. He reaches out to open his door and then climbs out. I prepare to do the same, but his voice stops me.

"Wait, don't," he says.

"What?" I reply.

"Don't open the door. Just…wait," he tells me. I look at him in confusion, my hand still on the door handle, ready to open it, but the look in his eyes stops me from going any further.

"Okay…what's going on, Max?"

"Shh," he holds a finger to his lips, a grin spreading over his face. I roll my eyes at his silliness and sit back in my seat, my eyes travelling over the parking lot. I turn back to face him a second later, but he's gone.

"Max?"

The sound of my door opening startles me and my head whips round at the noise. "Max! What are you – "

"Milady?" he's standing beside my door, his hand outstretched and his head bowed slightly.

A giggle escapes my lips as I take in the scene in front of me. I reach out my hand and place it in his, allowing him to help me out of the jeep.

"You're so silly!" I exclaim, as he closes the door behind me and leads me towards the room.

He unlocks the door and we walk inside. He lets go of my hand and shrugs out of his jacket; turning to face me as he loosens his tie, rolls up the sleeves of his shirt and shoves his hands in his pockets. I can't help letting my gaze run over his body, taking him in: the wonky tie, the top two unfastened buttons of his shirt and the tanned skin of his chest peeping through, the exposed muscles of his lower arms and the adorable expression on his face. He approaches me and my breath catches in my throat.

"Max?" I question in a half whisper, but his expression doesn't change. He comes to a stop in front of me and reaches up to stroke my bare arm with his fingers. I tremble under his touch and I feel goose bumps rising on my skin.

"Lizzie," he whispers, almost breathlessly. What is going on here?

"Max? What – " He shakes his head slightly and his other hand drifts up to touch my hair.

"Your hair is so soft," he murmurs. His fingers linger in my hair for a few moments before his hand slides down to cup my cheek. "And your skin is so smooth," he continues, his thumb moving gently across my skin.

The fingers of his other hand are still making small movements on my arm and that, combined with the feel of his touch on my face, makes me sigh with pleasure. I don't know what's got into him; or why he's doing what he's doing, but I couldn't care less. I just want him to continue to make me feel this way.

"You look gorgeous tonight, Lizzie. I don't think I said that earlier," he tells me, softly. "Not that you don't look gorgeous all the time," he corrects. "But tonight…" he trails off, letting out a breath.

I'm stunned. "Y – you think I look gorgeous?"

He nods, smiling at me tenderly, "Of course I do, Lizzie. I'd have to be blind not to see it. You're stunning…dazzling…beautiful…"

"But…I…" I don't know what to say. What _can_ you say to something like that?

Our eyes lock and I can hear my heart thumping in my chest. I can't think straight; my mind is filled with only him.

I raise my hands from their position at my sides, until they come into contact with his muscular arms. My fingers mimic the movements of his digits on _my_ arm and I draw in a sharp breath as the heat from his skin seeps through the material, warming my hands.

"Max," I whisper, not really sure what I mean to say.

A faint smile crosses his lips as he whispers back, "Liz."

And then it happens.

His warm lips are on mine, caressing them, loving them, and the contact sends a fresh wave of tingles through my body.

One of his hands is buried in my hair, cupping my neck from underneath and the other has left my arm, snaking round to my waist, pulling my body closer to him. I let out another gasp, this one muffled by his mouth.

My hands slide up over his arms, feeling the rippling muscles beneath his shirt as they go and then come to rest on his shoulders. Using my arms as leverage, I kiss him back with everything I have and his grip tightens around my waist.

"Oh, God," I whimper as he slides his hot tongue into my mouth. It tangles with mine and I feel a new warmth flood my belly.

My arms wind around his neck and my fingers become entwined in his hair. My knees go weak and I stumble slightly, which causes Max to walk me backwards so that I come into contact with the door.

I don't know how long we remain like that, his body pressing mine against the door, his lips and tongue and hands working me up into a frenzy, but I don't ever want it to stop.

Unfortunately, though, oxygen eventually becomes an issue and we are forced to break apart, my arms sliding back down his again.

I rest my head back against the door and stare at him in amazement. "Well, that was…" I can't even put it into words.

"Yeah," he agrees, breathlessly.

"Max, I – "

"Don't," he places a finger on my swollen, ravaged lips, effectively silencing me. "Don't say anything. Not tonight," he tells me and I can do nothing but nod. "Let's just go to bed and we can figure all this out in the morning."

"Okay," I breathe. I know I should be confused and full of questions, but my brain is still too fuzzy to think clearly.

Max leans forward one more and places a final soft, sweet kiss on my sensitive lips. My breath hitches as he pulls away and releases me from the confines of his arms. Not taking his eyes off me, he walks backwards towards his bed and fumbles for his night clothes. Finally finding them with his hand, he picks up his T-shirt and boxer shorts and slowly heads for the bathroom. His gaze doesn't leave me until the door closes and he leaves me alone in the room.

I let out a deep breath and slump back against the door.

"Wow," I breathe.

My hand comes up to graze my lips. I can still feel him there; I can still feel his warmth embracing me, the intoxicating scent of his aftershave mixed with something else, something purely masculine and well, _Max_, lingering on my body.

Somehow gaining enough strength to support myself on my weak, jelly-like legs, I stumble across the room and sink down onto my bed, my hands lazily grasping for the tank top and shorts that make up my night time attire.

When I find them, I stand up and peel off my dress, stepping out of it carefully and laying gently it on the chair by the bed. I pull the tank top over my head and don the shorts quickly. Max emerges from the bathroom as I am brushing my hair and I send him a small, slightly embarrassed smile as I slip past him and into the bathroom to wash up.

When I return to the room, Max is sitting on the edge of his bed, his foot tapping almost nervously on the carpeted floor. He looks up as I close the door behind me and we both smile tentatively at each other. I make my way over to my bed and get under the covers as Max does the same on his side of the room. Lying on my side, I watch as he reaches over to switch off the lamp on the bedside table.

"Night, Liz," he says.

"Night, Max," I whisper.

I lie awake for a while, confused as hell. I'm not exactly clear on what just happened between us, but I'm desperately hoping that it will happen again.

* * *

I wake up the next morning with the strangest sensation of being watched. I snuggle further under the covers, too sleepy and comfortable to get up, but when the sensation doesn't disappear, I slowly open my eyes, blinking at the sliver of sunlight peeking through the curtains and my gaze falls on Max. He's leaning against the frame of the bathroom door, still dressed in his T-shirt and boxer shorts and his arms are crossed over his chest. A toothbrush is held loosely in his left hand and he's watching me. Well actually, judging by the intensity of his gaze, it's more like staring. For a moment, I can't think why he would be staring at me and I feel uncomfortable and wonder if I have something on my face.

But then it all comes flooding back. Dinner last night; dropping Isabel and Alex back home; driving back here and then…

A huge smile breaks out over my face as the memory of our breathtaking kiss comes back to me. I stretch under the covers and then pull myself up into a sitting position. I glance over at Max again. He hasn't moved.

"Hi," I murmur shyly, a little self-conscious in front of him this morning.

"Hi," he flashes me a grin, but it disappears when he realises that I've caught him staring. "I'm…uh…just gonna go…" he raises the toothbrush in his hand and nods towards the bathroom.

It looks like I'm not the only self-conscious one here today. "Sure," I nod, and he turns to leave the room, sending me another small smile as he does.

As the door closes behind him, I relax and let out a huge, contented sigh as I sink back down to the bed. I stare up at the ceiling in wonder, unable to prevent the soft, girlish giggle that bubbles up in my throat and then unintentionally escapes my lips.

I kissed Max!

And it wasn't some drunken encounter like we shared the other week; this was real and he initiated it. I close my eyes and savour the light, happy feeling in my chest.

Realising that I can't lie here like this all day and that Max will be out of the bathroom in a minute or two, I pull myself up again and run my hands over my face, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. One touch of my hair tells me that it looks a state this morning and I frantically tug my fingers through it in an attempt to smooth it down and make it presentable. I've just managed to salvage one side, when the door opens again and Max comes out, his hair slightly damp at the edge from where he has apparently splashed water on his face.

He looks up and our eyes lock. My heart begins a rapid thumping in my chest as I watch him move round the end of his bed and towards mine. He walks over to me and takes a seat on my bed beside my legs, which are still under the covers.

"Max?" I ask, half in curiosity, half in anticipation of what he might do, now that he's sitting right in front of me.

"Liz…Lizzie," he says softly. "I…I know I said we'd talk this morning, but I just have to do one thing first…" he trails off and I watch him in puzzlement. What is he talking about? But as soon as the question pops into my head, the answer becomes clear. He cups my cheek with his hand and lowers his lips to mine. His kiss is tentative at first, but the second I realise what his intention is, I sink my fingers into his hair, bringing him closer to me as I respond eagerly.

God, his lips are like heaven! Why have I spent so long settling for other guys, when just one of Max Evans' kisses can make me feel like this? We break apart several moments later, both breathing heavily. I try to catch my breath to say something, but he beats me to it.

"Well, I guess that answers my question about whether or not you regret what happened last night," he says and his tone is so relieved that it makes me giggle. Man, what has gotten into me lately? I'm not usually the giggling type!

"Nope," I shake my head, grinning at him.

He reaches for my hand, "So, I guess we have to talk…"

"Yeah," I agree. What is it with me and one-word sentences today?

"So…" he starts, but for some reason doesn't continue.

"So..." I repeat curiously.

"Wow, this is tough," he says. "When did you get so hard to talk to, Parker?" he wonders, his thumb absentmindedly caressing my knuckles. He takes a deep breath, "Okay, so I guess I should start by saying that I didn't tell you the whole truth the other day," he begins, and I wonder what he's talking about. "When I told you my reasons for deciding not to um, sleep, with anybody, I left something out. The real reason is that, really, I was saving myself," he pauses for a second and stares into my eyes. "For you."

My reaction is a sharp intake of breath. "What?" I squeak. "F…for me? Max, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, Lizzie, that I think I've fallen in love with you," he admits, and my eyes well up at his words. He looks down at our entwined hands and murmurs, "I think I always have been, but I guess I just wasn't aware of what I was feeling for you or what those feelings meant," he says. "I've never been able to imagine my life without you in it in some form or another and I guess I just assumed that, eventually, somehow, we'd end up together. That you would be my first and…."

"And you would be mine," I finish for him, realisation flooding over me. "Oh, Max, I'm so sorry. I didn't…but there was Robert…and then Kyle…and…oh God, I'm sorry."

"What? No, Liz," he says quickly. "Don't be sorry, okay? You didn't know and I was too chicken to say anything before now. It was a stupid thing to assume," he tells me, but I have to say more, I have to tell him how I really feel.

I reach out my free hand to caress his rough, unshaven cheek, "Max," I murmur. "Lately, I've been having all these feelings for you too; but I just didn't know how to tell you. And I am sorry; sorry that I didn't wait, sorry that I must have hurt you the other night when I told you about Kyle, sorry that I didn't tell you how I felt sooner…" I trail off uncertainly, before gathering my courage again. I look him straight in the eye and confess, "Max, I think I might just be in love with you too."

Without giving him the chance to say anything, I lean forward and kiss him softly. He tightens his grip on my hand whilst hisother hand creeps around my waist. A few seconds into our embrace I realise something and pull back abruptly. He's already brushed his teeth this morning, but I haven't.

"Hey," he mumbles in protest and tries to pull me closer, his eyes still closed.

"Sorry," I whisper. "Morning breath."

His eyes open slightly. "I don't care," he murmurs.

"I do," I tell him. "You're all fresh and minty already, and I'm…not."

His eyes open fully now and he pouts at me. I roll my eyes, playfully, "Sorry, but I hate not brushing my teeth first thing in the morning." I give him a pleading look.

"Fine," he relents. "Okay, you stay here and 'brush your teeth' and I'll go get us some breakfast." I smile gratefully as he gets up, planting a tiny kiss on my nose, before untangling our fingers and grabbing his wallet. "I'll see you in a few," he says and with a wink, he disappears outside.

I can't help grinning to myself as I gather my wash bag and towel and head for the bathroom. One glance into the mirror above the sink tell me that my hair really is as bad as I thought and that I could definitely do with a shower.

I hop in and wash my hair and body quickly, my skin still tingling from where Max's hands caressed me earlier and last night.

I step out of the shower, wrapping my towel around me as I study my reflection in the mirror. I press my fingers to my lips in wonder.

Max Evans is _in love _with me.

He loves me!

My life is perfect.

* * *

Max returns to the room with two orange juices and a bag of doughnuts. It's not exactly my idea of a nutritional breakfast, but today I just don't care. We eat in comfortable silence, occasionally sneaking shy glances at each other and then grinning when we realise we're both doing the same thing.

I realise, as we're getting ready to meet Alex and Isabel again, that there is so much that still needs to be said, so many question that I want to ask him. But, it can wait for now; we have to leave in a few minutes and we'll have plenty of time to talk later.

"Hey, you ready?" Max's voice sounds from behind me as I'm searching for my camera. We're going to visit Alcatraz and the seals at Pier 39 (I've had to assure Max that these are seals, not sea-lions) today, and I want to be able to take pictures.

"Yeah, almost," I reply distractedly, digging through my bag in hopes of finding it. "You seen my camera?" I ask him, without turning round. When there's no reply, I turn to face him, annoyed that he seems to be ignoring me all of a sudden.

"What? Oh you mean _this_ camera?" he questions teasingly, the camera hanging from his fingers. I roll my eyes.

"Max!" I whine. "Why didn't you tell me you had it? I've been looking for it for the last ten minutes!"

I go to grab it from him, but he's too quick and it swings out of my grasp. He holds it high above his head, so I can't reach it and says, "What, and miss the fun of watching you try to get it back?"

"Oh, come on! We're going to be late for Isabel, and you know how she is about punctuality," I taunt, hoping that he'll relent and give it back so we can leave.

He looks like he's about to give in, but then a mischievous spark appears in his eyes and I wonder suspiciously what he's up to.

"Fine, I'll give it back, but on one condition," he tells me, a smug smirk gracing his lips.

"What?" I ask impatiently, my hands on my hips.

"Kiss me," he states and I already can see the eager anticipation in his eyes.

Okay, fine. Two can play at this game.

I lean up and graze my lips against his briefly before pulling away quickly, only to be grabbed round the waist and pulled back to him.

"Hey, no fair," he mumbles against my lips. He's still holding the camera high in the air and there is no indication that he's going to lower his arm anytime soon, so I go for broke.

I run my hands up over his back, caressing his muscles with my fingers. I inch them higher and higher until I'm almost at his shoulder. Then with one fell swoop, I go in for the kill and tickle his armpit; a place I know is ticklish. His reaction is immediate. He emits a snort of laughter, breaking our kiss and his arm comes down. Quickly, I reach round, grab the camera from his grasp and take several steps away from him.

"Ha. Not so clever now, are we, Evans?" I laugh. He's standing there, holding his arm to his side as his other hand rubs his armpit. He has this fake-vulnerable expression on his face and it almost makes me melt. Almost.

"That was mean, Parker," he grumbles.

I'm not falling for it. "Hey, if you had just given it back when I asked, I wouldn't have had to do that," I reason, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Ugh, I'm not even going to bother!" he says in mock annoyance. He takes a quick glance at his watch and realises the time. "Come on, we gotta go. You got everything?" he asks.

I roll my eyes, "Yeah, _now_!"

He walks over to me. "I'm sorry, okay," he says, grudgingly. "But you have to admit, it was kind of funny."

I smack his arm lightly. "Yeah, to you, maybe," I say, but I'm smiling. I look at him standing in front of me, with the puppy-dog expression on his face, and I give in. "Fine, you're forgiven."

He smiles and takes my hand. "Thanks," he grins and leans down to plant a quick kiss on my lips. "Okay, we have to go," he tells me and then leads me out of the motel room.

I'm grinning all the way out to the car.

Sure, Max might be an immature jerk sometimes, but right now, he's _my_ immature jerk.

_TBC…_


	8. Chapter 8

**Part Eight  
**

We drive the whole way to Isabel's place with our hands linked. We don't really look at each other, or talk much, but it's nice just to sit and enjoy the feel of Max's large, warm hand in mine, as the movement of his thumb against the back of my hand sends small thrills up and down my arm. As we pull into the residence hall parking lot and Max puts the jeep in park, I turn to him quickly, needing to talk to him before we get out.

"Hey, um, do you think maybe we could just keep all this just between us for now?" I ask, gesturing to our linked hands as I speak. There's no immediate reaction from Max, so I continue to explain. "I mean, it's only been a few hours and – "

"Sure, Liz, of course," he nods with a smile. "I was actually going to ask you the same thing. I don't think I'm quite ready for Isabel to find out yet. God, can you imagine her reaction?" he grins.

A bubbly laugh erupts from my throat, as an image of Isabel squealing in surprise and running around hugging everyone enthusiastically, flits through my mind. "Yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that yet either," I tell him, but then remember something from the day before. "Hey, Max? What was going on between you and Isabel yesterday? You looked like you were arguing."

A puzzled frown mars his face, "Yesterday? What happened yest– ? Oh, that."

"Yes, that," I confirm.

"It was, um…you know what, can I tell you about it later? I don't really wanna get into it now."

"Yeah, sure," I'm a little disappointed that he won't tell me now, but there's not much I can do about it. "So, we better go meet the others," I say then. "They'll be waiting for us."

"Okay, let's go then, shall we?" replies Max, letting my hand slip from his so we can get out of the car.

I reach Max's side, as he is locking the door and I spot Isabel and Alex waiting for us in the same place as yesterday. Max obviously hasn't seen them yet though, because when I turn back to him, I find myself caught up in his intense stare.

"I really wanna kiss you right now," he murmurs seductively and at the tone of his voice, I almost give in right there and then. But Isabel and Alex are watching and I know I can't.

"I really wouldn't do that, Max." I tell him and his face falls, his brow furrowed in confusion. It's so adorable. "Your sister is standing right over there," I indicate in her direction with my head and an expression of understanding replaces the confused look.

"Oh, right. Maybe not then." He looks over to Isabel and gives her a small wave. "Come on, we better get over there," he says and then turns, starting to walk over to them. I watch him for a second before I follow. Unable to stop myself, I find my eyes drawn to his backside. It's very cute. How on Earth did I not notice how nice it was before? How nice his whole body was? I've always known that he works out, 'to impress the ladies' as he told me when I questioned him on it back in sophomore year. Well, let me tell you, now that I'm finally sitting up and paying attention, I'm definitely impressed.

Wow, how weird does that sound? I'm talking about my best friend here! Well, my best friend and more, it seems now.

"Liz, are you coming?" Max's impatient voice breaks me out of my trance and I feel my cheeks grow hot. I raise my eyes up to his face; he's standing several metres away.

"Y-yeah, I'm coming," I call back to him and move to catch up.

"Hey," he murmurs out of the side of his mouth as I reach his side and we begin walking together. "Were you just checking me out?" I can see the confident smirk tugging at his lips, but I can't bring myself to look at him fully. So, I keep my eyes fixed on Isabel and Alex straight ahead of us. However, I can't help the smile that plays on my lips and I know he sees it. At the edge of my vision, I can see the smirk growing into a full-fledged grin.

"I knew it," he murmurs back, but I'm too embarrassed to look at him.

We reach Isabel and Alex and are met with suspicious grins. I realise that they probably saw our somewhat strange interaction by the car and are probably jumping to conclusions. The right conclusions, I might add; but we have agreed not to say anything to either of them before we're ready and I'm not about to confess to anything. Luckily, all we get is a knowing look from Isabel and a smug grin from Alex when they greet us, and as Isabel links arms with me and drags me off to discuss last night's dinner, I breathe a sigh of relief.

At least Max and I won't have to worry about acting normal around each other for a while.

* * *

_Day 21 – Sunday July 14th 2002_

_I'm not sure I can effectively describe how wonderful I'm feeling at the moment. I spent the entire day walking around with a huge, silly grin on my face and no amount of self-restraint could stop it._

_It's kind of strange really. Now that Max knows how _I_ feel and he's confessed his feelings to me, it's almost like we're just noticing each other for the first time. Even though we've already kissed and admitted feelings, it's as if we're going right back to the flirty stage, the part that usually happens before the first kiss and confessions of love. And for the most part, we've definitely passed the 'getting to know you' part of the relationship. It's weird; our entire relationship is completely backwards!_

_All day long, Max and I have been exchanging these discreet glances and secret looks. I feel like I'm back in junior high again, getting goose bumps whenever my big crush so much as looks in my direction, but really, I love it. It feels good to be the centre of Max's attention, and I don't just mean in a best-friends, we're-the-only-two-people-on-this-trip kind of way. I mean, he's been looking at me the same way he used to look at Jenna, his first crush in high school, when he thought no one was looking; and it warms my heart…_

"So, am I ever going to find out what you write about in there?"

I'm pulled out of my daydreaming by Max's half-whiny, half-amused tone. I put my pen down, settling back into the comfy chair by the window and grin at him smugly, "Nope."

He puts on a mock-offended look, "No? After everything that's happened between us, you're still saying no?"

"That's right. I mean, maybe you don't _wanna _know what I'm writing; after all, I could be critiquing your kissing technique."

His face pales at my words and I cover a smirk. Ha. That's got him worried; serves him right for being nosy.

He gives me a crestfallen look, "You think I'm a bad kisser?" he pouts and I roll my eyes.

But that wounded expression is all it takes and in an instant, I've sauntered across the room and have come to a stop at the edge of his bed, where he's perched on the edge.

His legs part slightly and I step between them. Cupping his face in my hands, I lean down and just before our lips touch I whisper, "I definitely do not think you are a bad kisser, Max Evans. In fact, I think you're probably the best kisser ever."

I watch as his eyes light up and then quickly darken as his arms snake round my waist, pulling me closer. "Well then, I guess I'll – " but he doesn't get any further as we both give into temptation and our lips meet in a passionate embrace. My head spins as I feel Max's tongue part my lips and slip inside my mouth, whilst his hands caress my lower back.

Wow, I think I could get used to this feeling.

We're both breathing heavily when we finally pull apart and Max lets his head drop against my chest, but I'm suddenly in a playful mood and urge him to scoot up onto the bed so his back rests against the headboard. With a mischievous smirk, I climb onto the bed after him and wrapping my arms around his neck, I lift myself onto his lap so that I'm straddling him. Unable to resist, I lean down to nibble on the side of his neck and his arms come around me once again.

"So, Evans," I say lightly, between small kisses. "How far exactly _have_ you gone with a girl before?"

I feel him stiffen slightly under me and immediately worry that I've offended him with my question, but one glance at his lowered head tells me that he's embarrassed more than anything else.

"Hey," I lift his chin so that his eyes meet mine. "You can tell me. I'm not gonna laugh, or make fun of you, or think differently about you. I'm just genuinely curious," I tell him, with a small smile.

He holds my gaze for a second before his eyes shift. "I guess I'm just not used to talking with you about this stuff; it feels kind of weird," he admits.

"I know it does, and I guess that's to be expected, considering," I say. "Okay, how about this – I'll tell you something about me and then you can decide if you wanna tell me something about you?"

"Okay," he agrees quietly, but he looks as if he's not sure he wants to know what I've done. He needn't worry, I'm not gonna make him feel bad about his own experience, or lack thereof.

"Okay," I grin. "Here goes. You're the only person who's ever made me feel light-headed and dizzy just by kissing me," I tell him, watching as a look of both wonder and disbelief crosses his face.

"S-same here," he whispers.

An elated grins breaks out on my face. "Really? You feel like that too?" His smile is the only answer I need and we share a meaningful look before I continue.

"You're also the only guy I ever wanted to spend all my time with. With Kyle, I could only take a few hours at a time, but you…well I've thoroughly enjoy the last three weeks sharing a room with you."

His response is to capture my lips in a heated kiss. "Me too," he murmurs when he pulls away and I can't wipe the smile off my face as I prepare to tell him something else.

"Okay, time to dig a little deeper now," I pause for a second to think. "I've never performed oral sex on a guy before."

At first, he looks shocked by my bluntness, but then a sly grin spreads across his face. "Me neither." I playfully punch his arm. "Okay, okay, I'll be serious," he says, but then he looks down. When he brings his head up again, I see the uncertainty in his features. "I, um…I have," he states and for a second, I wonder what he means by that; but then it dawns on me.

"You have? But…I mean…"

"Hey, just because _I_ haven't gone all the way, doesn't mean I'll deny my girlfriend the pleasure she deserves," he defends. "Besides, it was only once and I was a little drunk at the time."

"Oh," I can't help feeling a little jealous and I can't stop the next question from spilling out of my mouth. "Who was it? I – I mean…" I trail off embarrassed.

He shakes his head slightly, "It was Tess. She asked me to and I wasn't sure at first, but you know, I wasn't being fair on her by not wanting to sleep with her and, well, why should she have to go without because of that?" he reasons.

Although, to me it doesn't sound like he did it for the right reasons, my heart gives a tug at his thoughtfulness and I lean forward to kiss his lips softly before moving along his jaw line and back down to his neck. I'm interrupted however, by his next question.

"Has anyone ever, you know, done that to you?" his voice is almost timid and I smile against his warm skin.

I straighten up again so that I'm looking at him, "Well, almost," I smother a small giggle at the memory and Max looks puzzled. "It was after one of Kyle's big games and we went back to his place; but he was so exhausted that he only got as far as my stomach before he completely passed out!" I roll my eyes and Max bursts out laughing, before quickly covering his mouth with his hand.

"Sorry, I just got a weird mental picture; I didn't mean to offend you, or – "

"Hey, no worries," I cut him off. "It was pretty funny actually. And you know what? I'm glad he fell asleep, because I'm not sure I really wanted him to actually do it," I send him another smile, which he returns and then studies me with a pleased expression

"So, I guess you're still a virgin in that area, then?" he muses. "Hey, that's one-up for me in that department!"

The pleased-little-boy look on his face both makes me laugh and sends a thrill through my body, simultaneously. "Yeah, I guess it is," I grin, tightening my arms around his neck. "And, you know, now it's up to _you_ to remedy that," I whisper just before our lips meet again.

"Oh, I intend to," he mumbles between kisses. "I definitely intend to."

* * *

_Day 22 – Monday July 14th 2002_

_We said goodbye to Isabel and Alex this morning and now we've decided to drive all the way across the country to the East coast. We drove for eight hours today and have stopped for the night at a motel on the side of the road somewhere near Barstow, CA. Just for fun, and because it's not too far from here, we're going to drive up to Las Vegas tomorrow. I know that we're only eighteen and so can't legally do any of the things that Vegas is famous for, but we don't care – it'll still be fun to take in the atmosphere._

_Then on Wednesday, we'll carry on Eastwards along the I40, until we reach the coast. Our main destination is New York City, but we're going to try to visit as much of the area as we can. Max has promised that we'll make a stop at Harvard so he can see the campus and where I'll be living in the Fall._

_Just thinking about going off to college and leaving Max in New Mexico is making me all choked up. It was bad enough before when he was just my best friend, but now that we're together, the prospect of living thousands of miles from him is almost unbearable…_

I can't help it, a small hiccupping sob escapes my mouth as I think about how miss I going to miss everyone when I leave, my parents, my friends and most importantly, Max.

At the unexpected noise in the relative silence of the room, Max's head snaps up from the road map of the United States that he's studying and looks in my direction, a concerned expression on his face.

"Hey, Lizzie, what's wrong?" he asks.

I shake my head, covering my mouth with my hand. "It's…It's nothing," I finally manage.

His face softens, "Something's obviously up. Come here," he puts down the map and stretches his arms out to me.

I sigh and try to wipe away the few lone tears that have fallen from my eyes. "Okay," I sniff.

I close my journal and make my way over to him. I reach his bed and curl up at his side, feeling his arms come around me as I settle down against him.

"So, what's up?" he asks as he rubs my arms comfortingly.

"It's silly," I dismiss. "I was just thinking about what happens when we get home. You're still gonna be in New Mexico, studying at UNM and I'm gonna be on the other side of the country. It's just so far away from everyone, from you…" I trail off sadly.

"I know," he whispers consolingly. "I know. It'll be hard, but we'll get through it, okay. No matter what happens between us, I'm your friend first and I always will be." His words make me smile. "I've been thinking about it too. About how I'm going to survive at UNM, knowing that you're living it up at one of the best schools in the country, meeting all these charming, smart guys. I mean, how am I supposed to compete against Harvard men?"

I lift my head to look at him. He's staring at the opposite wall, his jaw twitching with concealed emotion. "Max, there is no way any Harvard guy could ever live up to you in my eyes, so please don't worry; I'll be spending all my time missing you," I tell him, placing a kiss to the underside of his jaw. "And what about all those girls at UNM? You're not the only one who can get jealous, you know."

His eyebrows rise as if this is the first time he's even considered it and it reassures me. "No danger of anything happening there, Lizzie. You'll always be on _my_ mind too."

His arms tighten around me and I relax back against him.

"Can…can I sleep here tonight, Max?" I ask timidly.

He looks down at me in surprise, "Here? As in…?"

"Yeah," I confirm.

"Sure. No problem," he smiles warmly, placing a kiss on my forehead. "How about we get changed and then we can watch a movie or something?"

"Okay," I smile and leave his arms to get ready for bed.

Ten minutes later, we're both dressed in grey T-shirts and black shorts (well, Max is in boxers) and we both laugh when we see each other's attire.

"We look like twins!" I exclaim, between giggles.

"Yeah, well, you are wearing one of my shirts," he retorts. I look down and realise that he's right. He lent me his favourite T-shirt a couple of years back when I got caught in the rain walking over to his house and I kind of adopted it after that. "And it's one of my favourites as well."

"Well, it can't have been that important to you, considering you went straight out and bought another one," I say, indicating the shirt he's currently wearing.

He looks down at his shirt too, and then concedes, rolling his eyes, "Oh, okay. Fair enough."

I grin triumphantly as we get into his bed. Max begins flicking through the TV channels as he puts his arm around me and I relax against him. There are no good movies on, so we finally settle on watching reruns on Nick at Nite. We sit in silence for a while, absorbed in the show. My mind begins to wander however, when I feel Max's fingers tracing small patterns on my arm and I think back to everything that has happened over the last couple of days. I sign in contentment and I'm just about to lower my head to rest on his shoulder, when a thought occurs to me.

"Max?" I straighten slightly.

"Hmm?" he replies absently, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"You never told me what you and Isabel were talking about the other day," I say.

"Hmm," he mumbles again. I roll my eyes. He's not listening.

"Oi," I shrug off his arm and give him a playful shove. "I'm talking to you."

"Hey!" he cries, rubbing his sore shoulder and frowning at me. "What was that for?"

"I'm trying to talk to you, and you're not even paying attention!" I exclaim, in mock annoyance.

"Well, I was trying to watch…" he glances at the TV. "…The Cosby Show." I snort and his expression becomes apologetic. "Okay, I'm sorry. I wasn't listening to you. What were you saying?"

"I was saying," I start in exasperation, although I'm not really that annoyed with him. "That you never told me what was going on with you and Isabel on Saturday."

"Oh," he says, looking back at the TV again. "It's actually a bit embarrassing…" he trails off.

"Come on, Evans," I tease, trying to get him to lighten up. "Spit it out."

He takes a breath, closing his eyes as he does so. "Isabel knows how I feel about you," he blurts out and I feel my eyes widening at his statement; he was right, this _is_ embarrassing. "She was nagging me about when I was going to tell you the truth." He opens his eyes and looks at me, trying to gauge my reaction.

"She…she knows?" I stutter, shocked that both she and Alex already seemed to know what Max and I have only just admitted to each other. "H-How long for?"

"A while," he admits.

"Wow, so everyone else seemed to see what we couldn't," I say in wonder.

Max looks up at me again. "Everyone else?"

I sigh. "When Isabel was talking to you on Saturday, Alex asked me almost exactly the same thing. He wanted to know if we'd gotten together yet."

I glance back at Max to find him watching me with wide eyes. "A-and what did you say?"

I give a small snort, "I basically asked him what he was on and told him that it was never going to happen." Max's face falls slightly and I rush to reassure him. "No, Max, I just couldn't believe that he'd just voiced the one thing that had been on my mind the last few days. It threw me," I tell him and his expression relaxes again. "Besides, look what happened just a few hours later."

He grins down at me and the next thing I know, our lips are meeting in a brief, but emotion-filled kiss. When we break apart, however, Max has a puzzled look on his face.

"Did you notice anything strange with Alex and Izzy this weekend?" he asks and my stomach drops.

"What are you talking about?" I feign innocence, hoping that he hasn't guessed the seriousness of their relationship, since I promised Alex I wouldn't tell him anything.

"Don't you think they seemed more relaxed and at ease with each other?" I shrug and he continues. "And what was going on with Alex already being at her building when we arrived every day?" He fixes me with a penetrating stare and I force myself not to fidget under it.

"Maybe he just likes being early," I suggest, but I don't think Max buys it.

He shakes his head slightly, "No, it's something else." He's watching me closely and I try to be inconspicuous by studying my nails, but out of the corner of my eye, I can see his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You know, don't you?"

"I don't know anything," I shake my head, but I can't bring myself to look at him.

Max tears his gaze away from me, glancing round the room. "Oh, God. They're sleeping together, aren't they? That's why he was always there," he says in disbelief. "And that's why he wouldn't let me take him back to his hotel room. He didn't have one!" he exclaims in realisation. "God, how could I have been so stupid!" He turns to me again, "And why are you not saying anything about this?"

I curse under my breath. "Max, I…" but I can't think of a good excuse. I sigh, "I promised Alex that I wouldn't tell you. But you seem to have figured it out for yourself, so I guess that's not relevant anymore."

He lets out a growl, "God, I'm gonna kill him!"

I put a hand on his arm. "Max, calm down. You can't get all worked up about this. It's Isabel's life and she's capable of making her own decisions," I tell him. "Besides, she doesn't seem to be against the idea of us being together. Can't you just be happy for her and support her choices?"

He sighs and runs a hand over his face. "I guess I don't have much choice, do I?" he says bitterly

"Hey, don't be like that," I plead softly. "Just because she's your sister, it doesn't mean that she needs you protecting her all the time. You like Alex; he's your friend. Wouldn't you rather Isabel ended up with him than with some random guy?"

He crosses his arms over his chest and slumps sulkily, "Yeah, I guess," he admits grudgingly, but I can tell that he knows I'm right.

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face at the sight of him. He looks like a sulking kid who didn't get his way and usually I would just ignore his mood, but for some reason, right now I think he looks hot.

God! What is wrong with me? It's like everything he does just turns me on.

I can't stop myself and the next thing I know, my lips are on his, nibbling and teasing at his mouth. I can't pull away immediately, I don't want to and the kiss is only broken when we both run out of air. I stare at him for a moment, breathing heavily, our lips barely a centimetre apart, before relaxing back at his side. I concentrate my attention on the TV screen in an attempt to get myself under control.

"Wow," breathes Max. "What was that for?"

I keep my eyes staring straight ahead as I answer him, "Not sure really, I just couldn't help it," I manage.

His arm comes around me once again. "Well, anytime you feeling like doing it again, feel free to go right ahead," he tells me with a smirk.

I let out a deep, contented breath as I settle against his side.

"Oh, I will, don't worry."

_TBC…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Part Nine**

When I wake the next morning, I find myself surrounded by warmth. My eyes flicker open and my gaze falls on the empty bed just a couple of feet from where I'm lying; _my_ empty bed. For a second, I'm confused. Why am I not _in_ that bed? Then I remember; I was upset last night, and asked Max if I could sleep in his bed with him.

I almost groan with embarrassment at how bold I was, to assume that we could just share a bed. I mean, we've only been 'a couple' for two-and-a-half days! But, as I become more fully awake, I realise our position in bed and suddenly the embarrassment is replaced by something else. It's contentment, and a sense of belonging.

I can feel Max's arm around me, holding me to him. His hand is resting against my bare stomach, having slipped under my T-shirt sometime during the night and he has pulled me flush against his chest. I am also aware of his legs, his thighs against mine. Our lower legs and feet are not entwined, but are just touching, and his face seems to be buried in my hair.

I relax and close my eyes, savouring the feeling of being wrapped in Max's arms. For a moment, I wonder how it is that he can breathe while his nose and mouth are pressed against the top of my head, but then there is a slight movement from behind me and I realise that he is no longer asleep. His lips brush against my head and then lower, as he places small tender kisses to the side of my head and then down to my cheek, ear and finally my neck. His fingers move and stretch slightly over my stomach and it is then that I become conscious of the fact that he seems to be aroused.

I can feel his length pressing into my bottom and that, coupled with the movement of his fingers on my belly, sends curls of excitement, desire even, through my body. My first instinct is to let him know that I'm awake and to show him exactly what his ministrations are doing to me, but suddenly a thought occurs to me and I find myself frozen in place.

This is _Max_.

I mean, sure, I love him and he's told me he loves me, but the whole situation suddenly seems a little scary.

Max Evans, my Max Evans has an erection and it's pressing right into me. It's there _because_ of me. I can feel it's length, it's hardness, but still it seems strange and foreign to me.

Of course, he's a guy and it's normal. And it's not like I've never seen one, or touched one, or even felt one inside of me before; it's just that I've never really let myself think of _Max_ getting them before. I mean, come on, it would be kind of gross if you thought about your best friend getting aroused, even more so if you considered that _you_ might be the reason for it.

We might be more than best friends now; and are thinking of each other differently, but I just don't think that I'm quite ready to make love to Max yet. And you know what, despite the situation he's currently in, I don't think that he's completely ready yet either.

But, having said that, there's no harm in a little making out, is there?

I let out a small moan as Max's mouth hits a sensitive spot on my neck and as he lifts his head to see if I'm awake, I take the opportunity to turn over to face him. His hand slides over my skin when I move and it rests on my lower back as I come to a stop in front of him. Our noses are practically touching and our lips are so close that I can do nothing but close the distance between us and kiss him. I don't even think about morning breath this time.

I also don't get around to talking to him about my earlier concerns regarding us becoming more intimate with each other. Our make-out session gets pretty heated, with Max ending up on top of me and our legs intertwined; but apart from the odd wandering hand and tender caress, we don't really explore any further than that. And, as Max points out breathlessly several minutes later, if we don't get a move on, we're not going to make it to Vegas with time to experience the city. We're only staying a couple of nights and then we'll be heading eastwards.

* * *

The drive up to Vegas is fun and the atmosphere between us starts off surprisingly light-hearted. While Max drives, for some reason I decide that it's a good idea to twist round in my seat and bombard him with random questions, at the same time as tossing M&M's into my mouth (or trying to, at least).

Honestly, I have no idea what I'm on today!

"So, Max. Have you decided what your major's going to be yet?" I start, barely five minutes into the journey. My unexpected line of conversation must have startled him, because he sends a 'what does that have to do with anything?' look my way.

"Where did _that_ come from, Lizzie?"

"What? I can't ask you a simple question?" I wonder indignantly.

He looks at me fully this time and shakes his head before turning back to the road. "No, it's not that. It's just that, apart from last night, we haven't really mentioned college over the last few weeks. I was just surprised you brought it up now."

"Oh," I reply, a little embarrassed at my outburst. "Sorry."

He smiles, his eyes fixed on the road, "Hey, don't worry about it. And to answer your question, I was thinking about doing English," he tells me, but then frowns as if he's just thought of something. He looks at me suspiciously, "But then, you already knew that, Lizzie. So, come on, 'fess up. What's this all about?"

I shrug, popping a green M&M into my mouth, "Just trying to start a conversation. You know, find some stuff out about you, that's all."

He looks at me like I'm crazy, "But you already know everything about me. We've been best friends for years."

I look away. Oops, busted.

"Not everything," I mumble under my breath, but he hears me anyway.

"What do you mean?"

I sigh, "We've both said it before, Max. There's just some stuff that we don't talk about. You know, personal stuff. Private stuff. But, now that we're…you know…I'm curious. I want to know those things about you." I need to know these kinds of things. I need to get over the 'best-friend' image that I still have of Max in my head so that I don't feel strange around him like I did this morning.

He glances at me, his mouth agape. "You want to know _intimate_ stuff about me, about my past? What kind of stuff?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, we're getting closer and I think we should be more comfortable with each other, get to know each other's likes and dislikes; our preferences and fantasies."

"F-fantasies?" he practically squeaks. "Liz…I-I don't think that now is really the time – ""

"Come on, Evans. I know you wanna know that stuff about _me_," I tease, leaning closer to him. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

He looks shocked for a second and I wonder if maybe I've taken things too far, but then a mischievous smirk creeps across his face.

"Really?" he drawls. "Okay. Well, two can play at this game. So, how about this, Parker: What's your favourite position?"

Now it's my turn to be taken aback. I wasn't expecting him to be this blunt. "P-position?" I stutter.

"You know what I mean, Lizzie," he replies smugly. "You're the one with the experience here."

"I…um," I gulp. "Okay, here's the thing. I've only actually done it a handful of times. With Robert, it was just awkward and uncomfortable; and then Kyle…well, he wasn't really that adventurous and we only ever did it the old fashioned way," I admit, slightly embarrassed. "So, I don't really have anything to compare between or choose from."

I look up at Max to find him staring at the road, a frown marring his features.

"I'm sorry," he says, when he realises that I'm watching him. "I just, I assumed that since you were more experienced than me, you'd have done stuff, you know? I didn't mean to embarrass you."

He glances at me, his apology evident in his eyes.

I shake my head. "Hey, it's okay, I'm over it, no big deal," I smile. "So, now I guess it's my turn to ask you something," I muse. "Since I pretty much know what you've already done, how about this one…if you could have sex anywhere, where would it be?"

His head turns to me once again, "Liz! I'm trying to drive here, I can't think about that kind of stuff now!" he protests, but I can see through him.

"Oh, come on! Stop trying to avoid the question!" I exclaim good-naturedly.

He sighs in defeat and his shoulders slump, "Fine. But I'm warning you, this isn't kinky or anything, so don't laugh at me when I tell you."

"I'm not going to laugh, Max," I reassure him, but also wonder why he thinks that I would laugh.

"Okay. Well, I kind of have this image of the perfect bedroom location in my mind. In the middle of the room, there is a queen-size bed with expensive sheets and there are candles scattered all around the room. An open bottle of champagne and 2 empty glasses sit untouched on the bedside table, while we make passionate love amongst the soft, luxurious sheets…"

He trails of in embarrassment and he looks over at me, as if expecting me be laughing at him. But I can't laugh, my eyes are welling up and my heart is filled with so much love for him.

"We?" I manage in a small voice. "As in, you and me?"

He gives a small nod and I feel a lone tear escape, making it's way down my cheek. "Max, that's beautiful," I cry. "Where are we? In your fantasy, I mean."

"We're, um," he gives a small, nervous chuckle. "We're at home, in our house. Liz, in my fantasy, I'm making love to my wife."

"Oh my God," I whisper, completely overcome with emotion. "Max, you really imagine us that way? Married?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," he whispers, nodding. Then he peeks at me again, "Liz, if this is too much, or whatever, you can just forget that I said anything. I don't want to assume…or…"

"No, Max. You can't take it back," I beg. "I won't let you. It sounds perfect. D-do you really think that maybe that could happen for us? I mean, it's been a crazy few days, with everything that's going on. Can we really think that far ahead?"

He shrugs, "Maybe it's a silly thing to be thinking, but it's just this picture I have in my mind of what the perfect setting would be. And now that we're, you know, together, in my mind you're the person that I imagine being with."

"That is so sweet," I exclaim and before I can stop myself, I lean over and plant a soft kiss against his cheek. A smile lights up his face as I link my fingers through his and relax next to him.

We arrive in Vegas just after three o'clock, but instead of pulling into the parking lot of the cheap motel chain that we usually stay in, Max drives straight past all the motels and carries on towards the Strip.

"Max?" I ask, confused. "Where are you going? We just passed the motels."

His mouth turns up into a grin as he strokes the back of my hand with his thumb. "Shh," he whispers conspiratorially. "It's a surprise," he wiggles his eyebrows at me. "Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes," he smiles and rolls his eyes. "I'll tell you when you can open them."

I watch him suspiciously for a moment, before doing what he's asked.

"And no peeking," I hear him say.

We drive in silence for a few more minutes. I still have my eyes closed, but my body is humming with anticipation. What is Max up to?

I don't have to worry for long though, because he takes a left turn and then tells me that I can look now.

"Ta da!" he exclaims, as I try to get used to the light again. But then I see what he's showing me and I gasp in amazement.

"Wow! Max, I can't believe you did this!"

* * *

I can't believe it! Max has booked us into one of the themed Las Vegas hotels for the next two nights! We're staying at the Excalibur hotel and casino. It's supposed to be like this old, medieval castle and it even has turrets (although they're red and blue and not very medieval) and a drawbridge!

"I hope you don't mind," Max murmurs to me as we make our way to the check-in desk. "But I could only afford a room with one bed. It's the height of the season and the prices have gone crazy."

"Why would I mind?" I say with a smile. Another night curled up with Max? I'm definitely not going to complain about _that_. "It sounds like the perfect solution. But you have to at least let me pay for half of it."

Max shakes his head violently, as if I've said something totally outrageous, "No way, Lizzie. This is my treat. You're my girlfriend now and I can spend my money on you if I wish."

"Girlfriend, huh?" I raise an eyebrow and his expression turns anxious, as if he might have just said the wrong thing. "You know, I think I like the sound of that," I reassure him.

I suppress a smile at the look of utter relief on Max's face. Impulsively, I slide my arm round his waist and squeeze lightly as I stand on tiptoe to place a kiss on the underside of his jaw. With a look of contentment, his arm comes around my shoulder and he holds me to his side as we approach the desk.

As he's talking to the receptionist and getting our keys sorted out, I start thumbing through the hotel entertainment brochure. Although we're not allowed in the casino, the hotel has a large swimming pool and several evening shows. My eyes widen as I read about one particular event, although I don't think Max would be too thrilled if I suggested going to it.

"Okay, we're all sorted, here are the keys," says Max, coming up behind me. "What's that you've got there? Thunder From Down Under? Liz, these are Australian strippers!" he sounds scandalised.

I scoff, covering any interest I might have had in the show, "Honestly, Max! Like I really want to watch a load of disgustingly over-muscled, oil-covered jocks prancing around the stage in nothing but thongs!" I exclaim, and then nudge him playfully. "Besides, I like my guys real and more than a little capable of intelligent conversation."

He wraps his arms round my waist from behind, resting his chin against my shoulder, "You do, huh?" I can hear the smug grin in his voice.

"Uh huh," I manage as I turn in his arms, planting a quick kiss to his lips. "Come on, let's go find our room. What floor are we on?" I ask as we pick up our bags and head over to the elevators.

"Uh, seventeenth floor," he replies, looking at the keys. "West Tower."

After finding the correct elevator for the West Tower, we eventually reach the seventeenth floor and find our room number.

"Wow," I say, as we enter the room. It's really spacious and looks so much more luxurious than the shitty little rooms we've been living out of the past few weeks. Dumping my suitcase and backpack on the edge of the bed, I walk over to the window and look out. "Look at that pool, Max! We have to go swimming later."

"We will," he assures me, laughing at my enthusiasm. "But first I think we should check out Vegas in the daytime. Since we're not allowed in the casinos we might as well see what else this city has to offer us."

We leave our belongings in the room and head out of the hotel. Our first stop is the Luxor, which is right next-door. It's pretty cool inside and has this whole food court area as well as an IMAX theatre and several other attractions. We grab a McDonalds in the food court and then crack up at the absurdity of coming all the way to Las Vegas, only to eat at an international fast-food chain.

"We'll eat at a proper restaurant for dinner," Max promises later, as we walk arm-in-arm down the strip towards the other famous hotels.

We end up in the Forum shopping centre next to Caesar's Palace. It's really swanky, but I guess that's to be expected considering that stars like Michael Jackson shop here. We pass Planet Hollywood and I suggest having dinner there tonight, since I've never eaten at a Planet Hollywood restaurant before, but Max says that he already has something planned for tonight and that we'll have to do it tomorrow.

I wonder what he's intending for us to do this evening? This feels weird – Max has been going around being all secretive today, but as much as it annoys me that he won't let me in on his plans, I'm also finding it incredibly romantic and I can't help but wonder if he's always like this as a boyfriend; making secret plans and arranging surprises.

If so, I can't believe what I've been missing out on all this time.

* * *

_Day 24 – Wednesday July 16th 2002_

_Wow, I can't stop smiling this morning!_

_Max and I are in Las Vegas, we're currently sharing not just a room, but also a bed, in the Excalibur hotel and memories of last night are running through my mind at an amazing speed. Max said yesterday that he was going to surprise me, and well, surprise me he did!_

_First, he took me to dinner at the Caribbean themed restaurant, Kahunaville, in the Treasure Island hotel. He told me that it was 'in honour of all the times we rode Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland' and he insisted on paying, since it was our first official date. The food was gorgeous and although we couldn't drink them, the cocktails sounded delicious – they even had this huge one that cost $18 and you could even keep the cocktail glass afterwards!_

_Anyway, after dinner, we decided to watch Sirens of Treasure Island, the pirate show that they put on every night just outside the hotel entrance. It looked like it was going to be pretty cool – there was a large area of water out at the front and a moving pirate ship, but within about five minutes of the show starting, we began to regret our decision to stay. Despite the fact that there were families and many young children watching, the 'performance' was pretty much a soft porn show. The women were dressed in tiny corsets, boobs practically spilling out and fishnet tights and the men weren't much better. I managed to sit through about fifteen minutes of it, before I looked up at Max and found the same uncomfortable, unimpressed expression on his face as the one I'm sure was on mine. One glance and that was it; we were out of there!_

_But dinner wasn't what made the evening special, it was what happened once we got back to our room that did…_

I lift my gaze to watch Max; he's sleeping peacefully beside me on the bed and I can't help the bubble of joy that rises up in my chest at the sight of him. I carefully reach out and lightly brush his soft, slightly parted lips with my fingers, remembering exactly how they felt against mine last night.

_Flashback…_

_The walk back to the hotel is spent expressing our disgust over the Treasure Island show, although Max does point out that this is Vegas and that this kind of thing is not all that uncommon here. But you'd think that they'd at least put a warning on the brochure that it might not be suitable for kids! _

_By the time we reach our room, we've almost gotten over the whole thing and it turns out that Max is in a really playful mood. The second the door closes behind us, he pushes me up against it and immediately begins an onslaught of kisses on my lips, my face, my neck and every other area of exposed skin that he can get his hands (or rather, lips) on. The sudden feel of his solid chest pressing me against the door makes my knees weak and I hold him to me tightly as he buries his face in my neck._

_I am so caught up in the feel of his body pressed against me that I completely miss the fact that by the time he stops to take a breath, we are on the bed and he is pressing desperate, open-mouthed kisses to my face and neck. I can do nothing but cling to him; my hands and fingers buried in his short hair, my mind a blur._

"_Liz…" he breathes as his lips brush my collarbone._

_He continues to move lower and it's only when I feel his warm hand cupping the underside of my breast that the hazy fog surrounding my brain clears somewhat and I realise that what is happening between us is something new and exciting._

"_Max?" I slide my hands out of his hair and lift his chin to look at me. "What are we doing?" I whisper softly._

_But he just grins and presses a finger to my lips. "Shh. No Questions. Just relax and enjoy it."_

_So I do. _

_My fingers immediately fly back up to grasp his hair as I feel his ministrations resume. He slowly draws the straps of my top down over my shoulders and then my arms, exposing my bra-clad chest to his gaze. I gasp as he cups my breasts in his large hands. He runs his thumbs over the silky material and I shiver as they come into contact with my sensitive nipples. My head falls back against the pillows and my fingers go slack in his hair as I feel the sudden warmth of his mouth on my still covered breast._

_He teases me for a couple of minutes before moving down over my stomach, reaching for the hem of my top and pushing it up to expose my bare skin. He rains small kisses on my stomach, around my belly button and I gasp with the pleasure, unconsciously tightening my grip on his head and holding him to me. As his mouth continues its assault on my skin, his hands travel down over my hips to the hem of my knee length skirt before slipping up and underneath it._

_My breathing quickens as his fingers trace light circles up over my thighs and my skirt rides up towards my waist as his hand creeps higher and higher. A breathy moan escapes my lips and my hips jerk as his roaming fingers gently brush against my panties. He smiles against my stomach at my reaction and I can feel his eyes on me, watching me, but I don't have the energy to lift my head and return his gaze._

"_Max, please," I whisper, my hands dropping to his broad shoulders._

_He complies with my unspoken request and the next thing I know, he hooks his thumbs into the elastic of my panties, easing them over my hips and slides them off me. He doesn't touch me for a moment, but even so, my heart begins thumping in anticipation of what's coming next. But then his fingers come into contact with my most intimate area and I practically jump at the new and unfamiliar sensation. I clamp down on the sudden, self-conscious urge to close my legs and hide myself from his view and instead I force myself not to shy away from him._

_I don't have long to deliberate over my decision however, because suddenly his head is between my legs, his hot, warm tongue is darting out to taste me and I am completely, totally lost. He strokes my thighs as he devours me with his tongue and the combined pleasure is overwhelming. I can feel the pressure building within me, escalating exponentially with every stroke of his tongue. This is positively the most wonderful, fulfilling experience I've ever had and I don't want it to end._

_Then, just when I think it can't get any better, Max's fingers slide into me as he uses his teeth to gently tease me and suddenly, something inside me just explodes._

_I hear myself moaning with pleasure and gasping for breath, but it doesn't register that the sounds are really coming from me. I can't think, my body is shaking and quivering; my senses have gone into overload and when the intense sensations finally begin to subside, I can do nothing but lay there, all limp and sweaty, yet fully sated. It doesn't even register when Max rearranges my skirt to cover me before sliding back up my body and settling on his back beside me. _

"_Wow," is all I can manage as I try to catch my breath. "I never knew it could be like that," I whisper in awe as I turn my head to look at him. "Thank you."_

_He smiles and he brushes a stray strand of hair off my face. "No need to thank me, Lizzie," he whispers softly. "We came back here, and you just looked so… I couldn't help myself," he tells me. "And I love the fact that I can make you feel like that."_

_An incredible feeling of happiness washes over me at his words and I move closer to him, settling myself against him. It's on the tip of my tongue to offer to return the favour, but I think he senses that he's worn me out and also that since I've never done it before, I'm not completely ready for it yet, because he just folds me into his arms, presses a light kiss to my forehead and encourages me to get some sleep._

_We fall asleep in each other's arms, still fully clothed, but extremely content._

Present

I realise that a full-fledged, dopey grin has spread across my face as I've been remembering the events of last night, but looking at Max now, I really don't care. I'm still wearing my skirt and top from last night and although he's lost the shirt, Max is still in his jeans. The sight of his bare chest, only partially covered by the sheet has me practically drooling, but unfortunately, as much as I would currently like to spend every waking moment in his company, he's still Max and that means he'll be dead to the world for at least another hour and a half.

I playfully roll my eyes at his sleeping form and decide that now is as good a time as any to explore more of the hotel. One peak through the curtains tell me that it's a gorgeous sunny day outside and not too hot yet, so I scribble Max a quick note to let him know that I'm going for a swim and casually suggest that maybe he'd like to join me when he wakes up. I can't resist adding a quick 'I love you' on the bottom of the note, partly in hopes that he won't think that I've just abandoned him, but more to the point, that I _really_ want him to come find me down at the pool.

I'm suddenly in the mood for feasting my eyes on a dripping-wet, swim-shorts-clad Max Evans.

Okay, I desperately need to get my mind out of the gutter now.

I'm off to cool down in the pool (well, at least until Max shows up, anyway).

_TBC…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Part Ten**

Almost two hours have passed by the time Max makes it down to the pool. From my spot in the water, I can see the irritated expression on his face; I'm assuming it's because I wasn't there when he woke up and also because he obviously hasn't seen me yet, but the second his eyes come to rest on me, the annoyed expression is replaced by a huge grin and I can't help grinning back at him.

I'm sure he feels my gaze on him, because when he reaches the sun lounger next to mine, he takes his time removing his T-shirt, stretching as he does so, so that every muscle in his upper body flexes and is visible to me. He turns around, catches my eyes and smirks and I realise then that I'm staring, my mouth hanging open in awe.

He sends a mischievous wink my way, before smoothly diving into the pool. Whilst he's still under the water and unable to see me, I raise my hand to my face, fanning it urgently. Is it just me or has the temperature out here just risen by about ten degrees?

My mind is so caught up in fantasies of being alone with Max again, that I fail to notice him emerging from the water right in front of me.

My hand flies to my heart, "God, Max! Don't do that! You scared the shit out of me!" I cry, but I can't help laughing at his cute and innocent expression. I sigh and move closer to him, "Come here," I breathe, leaning forward and planting a chaste kiss on his lips. "Good morning."

"Morning," he says softly, as his hands come round my waist and he pulls me onto his lap. "So, you just decided to leave me all on my own this morning, with no one to wake up to? That wasn't very fair," he complains, his tone light-hearted.

"Yeah, well, you sleep like the dead and I was bored," I tell him playfully.

"You were bored?" he questions. "So, what? You finally got what you wanted and now I'm of no use to you anymore?" I know he's just teasing, but something in his eyes tells me that he needs reassurance here.

"Don't be stupid," I say as I grip his shoulders, pulling him closer. "You could never be 'of no use' to me. I just couldn't stay in that room with you like that and keep my hands to myself." I lean in to rest my forehead on his, "And don't ever talk about what happened last night like that again. What you did for me was…wonderful, incredible…spectacular and I shall remember it for the rest of my life," I whisper fiercely.

In a flash, he's captured my lips once again and is kissing me passionately. For several moments, I revel in the feel of his lips, but the sound of children shouting nearby quickly infiltrates my mind and I remember where we are.

"Max," I say, breaking the kiss. "We can't. There are kids here."

He takes a quick glance around, but luckily, no one has noticed us. "Okay," he sighs. "We better keep this PG-rated. So how about a swim?" He slides me off his lap and we spend a few minutes swimming round the pool and enjoying the atmosphere. Max goes off to get a few lengths in, saying that he's hardly gotten any exercise recently and is starting to feel like a slob. I let him go, but not before telling him that there's no way he could ever be mistaken for a slob, not with a body like his.

I grin as he blushes and smiles self-consciously, quickly taking off for the other end of the pool. I watch him go and let out a satisfied sigh as I run my eyes over the smooth lines of his bare back.

I content myself with relaxing at the side of the pool, feeling the blazing sun on my face and observing Max as he completes length after length. After about thirty laps (well, actually it's exactly thirty - I've been counting), he makes his way back over to me, a tired but pleased smile gracing his features.

"Have a good swim?" I ask as he rests his head back against the side of the pool.

"The best," he responds, catching his breath and then turning his head to look at me. He watches me for a moment, before peaking again, "You know, you look so hot in that bikini," he states, his gaze burning into me. "I don't know how I didn't notice how good you looked before this vacation, but you definitely do."

I feel my cheeks begin to burn with embarrassment and my eyes immediately lower under his attention.

"Max," I murmur, shaking my head in denial.

But then his fingers slid under my chin and he urges me to look at him. "I mean it, Lizzie. Just the thought of you in that thing makes me…"

I find myself eagerly anticipating the end of his sentence, but it doesn't seem like he's going to finish. Actually, he almost looks…ashamed. What on Earth, would he be ashamed of?

Oh.

My eyes widen in realisation as the meaning of his words sink in.

"Max?" I ask softly. "Is that why…at the pool in LA…when I got there and then you…?" I trail off, unable to say any more, but I think my meaning is clear.

His hand leaves my face and his eyes drop in shame. "Yes," he manages quietly. He takes a breath and then raises his eyes to me again. "I'd spent the previous couple of weeks trying not to think about you that way, I mean we _were_ sharing a room and all, and I'd just managed to get it under control; but then you arrived at the pool and took off your towel, and my body just…reacted to the sight of you. I couldn't let you see the effect you had on me, so I made a run for the water," he finishes with an embarrassed shrug.

"Wow," I breathe as this new information sinks in. "I'm sorry, Max."

"What? What are _you_ sorry for?"

"I'm sorry that I was the cause of your, um…predicament. Especially in such a public place and all," I explain.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault you're gorgeous," he tells me with a smile, lifting me onto his lap once more.

I grin and bite my lip, embarrassed and he kisses me lightly on the nose, before leaning in to plant one on my lips; but I stop him mid-way.

"Wait," I say suspiciously. "That whole thing with Aiden; you were rude to him when you two met and then we got into that awful argument after I went out with him at Disneyland," I state and a guilty expression settles across his features. "Max, were you jealous of him?"

"I, um…" he fumbles. "No! I wasn't jealous," he tells me. "Exactly."

I just raise my eyebrow and look at him expectantly.

"Okay, fine," he relents. "I was out-of-my-head, completely and utterly jealous of him," he says in a rush. "There, I said it! Are you happy now?"

Now it's my turn to lean in and kiss _his_ nose, as my hands come up to rest on his chest. "Yes, I'm happy. Completely and utterly happy – " I don't get the chance to say anything more because his lips finally capture mine and he's pulling me closer.

"Maybe we should get out of the pool now," I suggest a few minutes and several heated kisses later. "We've still got a lot more to do today."

When he doesn't respond right away, I pull back to find his eyes still closed. "Max?"

His eyes open. "Um, you go on ahead, I'll meet you back at the room in a couple of minutes," he says quietly.

"Max, what – ?" I'm cut off as his arms tighten around my waist and my lower body comes into contact with…

"Oh!" I exclaim in surprise. "Oh, right. Okay then. I-I'll just go now and I'll see you in-in our room in a couple of minutes."

He gives me a tense, but grateful smile and releases his grip, allowing me to slip off his lap. I quickly get out of the pool and walk over to where I left my towel. Picking it up, I reach up to wipe the water from my face and take a quick glance over at Max as I wrap it around me. He's watching me. He catches my eye and then looks away quickly with a sigh, dropping his head back against the edge again.

I collect the rest of my things and shoot another glance in his direction; but this time it's a sympathetic one.

* * *

Max returns to the room, fully dressed and a little more composed, a few minutes after I get back.

Once I've changed clothes and dried my hair, we leave the hotel, this time heading for the downtown area rather than the strip. It feels strange as we walk down Fremont Street, passing the famous casinos and hotels like the Golden Nugget and Lady Luck; places I've only ever seen on TV and in movies.

However, it is after we've checked out the buildings and shops that we realise that there isn't really a whole lot for underage kids to do in Vegas during the day. So, when we spot the huge cinema across the road, it's an unspoken agreement between us that we'll spend the afternoon watching a movie.

We end up seeing Men in Black II, which to be honest, isn't nearly as good as the first one; but I think Max enjoyed it anyway, even if I didn't.

After the film, we hail a taxi back to our hotel and decide to have a late lunch at Planet Hollywood, instead of going for dinner. The reason being that we have tickets for 'King Arthur's Medieval Banquet and Jousting Tournament' at the hotel tonight. It's this show they have at the Excalibur where you watch all these performers dressed as Knights battle it out on horses to rescue King Arthur (think A Knight's Tale), while eating dinner, medieval style (and that means no cutlery)!

As we walk down the Strip towards the Forum, Max spends his time pointing out and making fun of all the strange shops and buildings that we pass. His goofiness makes me laugh and I can't help linking my arm with his and cuddling up to him as we go. About halfway there, I notice a certain building up ahead of us and decide that it would be fun to mess with Max's head a little.

"Hey," I nudge him. "Why don't we go in there? You never know, we might find something we like," I suggest, pointing in the direction of the neon flashing sign just outside it.

Max looks in the direction of my finger and does a double take.

"Liz!" he exclaims, shocked. "God! I mean, I know what I said the other day, but it's only been, like, 4 days! I don't think we're quite ready for that yet, do you?"

His scandalised expression is all it takes and I burst into giggles.

"Oh, relax," I tell him when I've managed to catch my breath again. I push against his shoulder playfully. "I was just messing with you; I'm not serious! And besides, when I do get married, it's not going to be Las Vegas, in the Elvis Chapel!"

He raises his hand to his chest in mock relief. "Oh, thank God!" he breathes. "Shit! Don't _do_ that to me, Liz!"

I laugh again at his face, which still shows remnants of shock. I roll my eyes and he takes my hand, quickly leading us away from the offending building. As we walk on, he lets out a small huff of frustration, but I can tell that he's trying to hide his own smile beneath his frown.

* * *

_Day 26 – Friday July 18th 2002_

_We set off in the jeep yesterday morning, after a wonderful last night in Las Vegas. The Medieval Dinner and Jousting Tournament were really cool – the seating area was divided into different sections – one for each country 'competing' and Max and I were cheering for Norway! It was pretty late by the time we got back to the room and apart from a short, but fairly intense make-out session on the bed; we didn't do anything else but sleep, curled up next to each other. I think we're both agreed though, that from now on getting a motel room with two beds would be a bit pointless, especially considering that I think we both sleep better when we're sharing a bed. And it's also cheaper!_

_We drove right across Arizona yesterday, only stopping for lunch at the other Oregano's restaurant in Flagstaff (oh, how I missed that cookie-dough dessert!) and we finally decided to stop for the night once we reached Albuquerque. We spent last night in a cheap motel on Central Avenue (that's Route 66 to everyone else) and I promised Max that we'd go check out the UNM campus before we set off again today. That way I can see where he'll be living and going to school too. The campus itself is also on Central Ave – a little less than a mile from here._

_Uh oh, I'd better go now – Max is awake and complaining that I'm not in the bed with him. Honestly, I can't help it if concentrate better when I'm sitting in a chair than in a bed; especially a bed that he's lying in too!_

_Okay, I really have go now, he's giving me the puppy-dog eyes again…_

With a grin, I shut the book, stand up and saunter casually over to Max.

"Did you want something?" I smirk when I reach his side.

"Yeah. You," he tells me, reaching out his arms to pull me closer and I can't help blushing under his intense gaze.

I'm tempted to throw caution to the wind and simply give in to him, but our relationship is already moving pretty fast and despite what he did for me the other night, I still think we should wait a little while before becoming even more intimate. Although, that doesn't stop me from wishing to return the favour some day soon, just not right now – we have to go see the campus.

I lean down and press a sweet kiss to his lips, before running my hand down his arm to his hand and detaching it from my back. I link my fingers with his and bring them up to plant a kiss on his knuckles.

I smile down at him, watching as he shivers slightly at my soft caress. "Come on, let's go explore UNM. I want to see where you'll be spending the next four years." His face falls slightly at my words and I know he's thinking about us being separated in the Fall. "Besides, I want to know where I'll be staying when I come to visit you," I add, trying to cheer him up a little. I have to admit that I am also feeling choked up at the thought of being so far away from him, but despite how inconvenient the situation will be for us, attending Harvard has been my dream for so long and there's no way I'm giving it up now, not even for Max. If the two of us are really meant to be, then we'll be able to get through the next four years. It won't be easy and I'm sure we'll miss each other like crazy, but I believe that we'll survive it; if not as a couple, then I'm sure that we'll always be friends.

I watch as his eyes light up at the thought of weekend visits and he grins.

"Well, if you put it that way, what are we waiting for?" he asks and then pushes me away a little. "Go, get dressed, woman. I wanna show you everything!"

I roll my eyes at his sudden change of tune and untangle my fingers from his. You know, I think it's just dawned on him that this…_us_…is not gonna be just a summer 'we're-on-the-road' thing, but that it's going to last, at least for a while. I move away from him, grab some clothes from my suitcase and head for the bathroom to change.

"Hey, where are you going?" calls Max from behind me.

I turn to him, puzzled. "I'm going to change so we can get out of here," I tell him.

"Yeah, I get that, but do you really have to go all the way in _there_ to do it?"

I smile. "Well, I could stay in here, but then I don't think much changing would get done. Or at least, I'm sure clothes would be taken off, but I don't think that they'd be put on again," I smirk and blow him a kiss as I enter the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I hear a groan from the other side and a thump as he lets himself fall back to the mattress. I lean back against the door, letting out a sigh as I do so.

What has gotten into me this morning? I'm not usually this…forward.

* * *

It doesn't take us long to get ready and to leave the motel. Since the campus is only just down the road, we decide against taking the jeep, electing to walk there instead; which, to be honest, was probably not the best idea in the world.

The stretch of road between our motel and the university is known as Nob Hill (I know, I cracked up when I first heard it), but it's actually supposed to be a pretty cool area. There are all these arty shops and some nice looking restaurants, although not so much can be said about the people that we pass walking down the road. Roswell is a fairly quiet, pleasant town to live in, but it appears that UNM is located in a not-so-nice area of town. Some of the buildings are somewhat run down and the only pedestrians seem to be homeless and/or drug addicts, either begging for bus fare money or shouting lewd comments at us as we pass.

Luckily, the campus is a great deal nicer and feels a lot safer than the street. I guess that the students don't usually venture that far off campus and neither do the people on Central come onto the campus.

I have to admit that I'm almost jealous of Max coming here in August. The university buildings and scenery are gorgeous. In the centre of the campus there is a large duck pond, complete with water fountains and surrounded by grassy areas and trees. I can just picture Max coming out here to study in the sunshine. Actually, the picture I have in my head is of the both of us relaxing together on the grass, quietly enjoying each other's company.

"What are you smiling about?" Max's voice brings me out of my daydream.

"Oh, nothing much," I murmur, not taking my eyes off the sprays of water emerging from the pond. "It's beautiful here isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," he agrees. "I think I'm going to like it here."

His arm comes around my shoulders and we take one last look at the pond before making our way over to the Student Union building (or the SUB as Max tells me it's called by the students). It really is an impressive building: It has two stories, with a movie theatre, a large computer lab and a convenience store on the lower floor and an entire food court and conference rooms on the upper floor. The food court has about six establishments, including a coffee and sandwich bar, a Sonic fast food place and even a smoothie bar!

"Wow," I manage as I look around. "This place looks so cool."

"Yeah, it does," he replies. "But let's go see some more of campus. I want to show you my dorm."

He takes my hand and leads me out of the building. We walk through the main courtyard and past the large gym and sports complex.

"I read that use of the gym and pool is free to all UNM students. You just have to swipe your Lobo card to get in," Max tells me, but my brain is stuck on just one word.

"Lobo card?! Max, what the hell is that?"

"Oh, did I not tell you? It's the official student card. It's used to buy meals and get you into the buildings or borrow books from the library," he informs me, but obviously doesn't understand why I'm still confused.

"Oh, I kind of already got the part about it being the student ID card. I was actually wondering why it's called a _Lobo_ card."

He gives me a 'duh' look, "Liz, surely you've heard of the New Mexico Lobos, the UNM football team? The Lobo is the university mascot."

"Oh." I feel kind of stupid now. "Of course I knew that," I say defensively, but Max just smirks and nods.

"Uh huh, sure you did."

I punch him playfully on the arm, but grin along with him too.

As we walk, I take in our surroundings. We are now in the middle of a large area of grass. The gym is behind us and there are several buildings in front of us. But what is spectacular about the view is that there are mountains in the background –the Sandia Mountains if I remember correctly from Geography class.

"This is Johnson Field," Max informs me. "And those buildings up ahead are the dorms."

"Which one is yours?" I ask curiously.

"That one on the left, with the wings on either side. Coronado Hall."

"Wow, it looks nice," I tell him. "Can we go inside?"

"I don't know. It might be locked up for the summer," he says. "Let's go and see."

It turns out that we can't get past the front desk of the building as you need a key to get through the second doors that lead to the rooms, but the guy at the desk gives Max a residence hall brochure that has pictures and information about the hall inside. We take a quick look around La Posada, the dining hall and the SRC – Student Residence Centre (boy, do they like their abbreviations here!), which is where the students pick up their mail. It also has a convenience store with a small take-out Pizza Hut service.

We grab some lunch at Frontier Restaurant, a 24-hour popular student hangout where they serve everything from breakfast burritos to enchiladas and green-chilli cheeseburgers. It's a pretty cool place.

After lunch, we spend some time checking out the large UNM bookstore – complete with yet another convenience store and a Starbucks. The textbooks are on the second floor, while the first floor is full of fiction books, stationary and UNM clothing and Lobo-wear. Apparently, you have to wear red whenever you attend a football game, so Max decides to buy me a red Lobo's baseball cap so that I won't be the odd one out when I come to visit.

He is so sweet!

We manage to spend the entire afternoon wandering around the campus and local area and then eat dinner at yet another student hangout, Saggio's Italian restaurant and sports bar, before returning to the motel.

I actually like Saggio's better than Frontier. You can buy a huge slice of pizza for just over a dollar and their desserts look gorgeous. But that's not the best part; the whole place is done up in an Italian theme, complete with a small water feature and murals and paintings of famous people that cover the walls, although the ones with Einstein and the Beatles are kind of creepy. Even the bathrooms are decorated, with small water fountains instead of normal washbasins.

We arrive back at the hotel exhausted but happy. I know that Max is going to have a great time here in Albuquerque; I only wish that I could share the experience with him. But I know that I have my own adventure ahead of me and seeing Max here today has made me all the more excited to go to Massachusetts. I suddenly can't wait until we make it out to the East coast in a few days.

We're going to head off properly tomorrow and are just going to keep driving until we get there.

I can't wait.

_TBC…_


	11. Chapter 11

**Part Eleven**

_Day 29 – Monday July 21st 2002_

_Well, after almost three days of driving, we've finally made it to New York City! We've only been here a few hours but I love it already. We didn't want to stay in a youth hostel or somewhere cheap but in a bad area, so before we got to the city, we stopped at an Internet café and booked into the cheapest hotel we could find, which ended up being the Quality Inn on Broadway and West 94th Street (and to be honest, wasn't very cheap at all, especially compared to the dumps we've been staying in recently)._

_The cross-country journey from New Mexico was long and tiring, but we had fun and the majority of the time was spent laughing and joking together about the silliest little things, like reminiscing over our first crushes in Junior High and wondering exactly why, in Freshman year, Max decided that the leather look was in (even he had no idea about that one). Our nights were spent sharing a bed, sleeping in each other's arms. We haven't gotten much further in our physical relationship than we reaching in Vegas, although there has been the odd intense make-out session involving loss of tops and other upper body garments, but although I feel a little guilty about not doing more for Max, I decided to wait until I could make it special, namely until we arrived here in New York. At least now, I can plan something for him like he did for me at the Excalibur. I'm not sure what it will be just yet, but I'm definitely going to make it good!_

_But right now, we're off to take in the sights of Times Square. I've heard that they do city bus tours from there and I think we're planning to go on one of those around the city. I'd also like to take in a show while we're here and even though Max claims that he's not into Broadway musicals, I know, for a fact that he used to listen to the music from Singing in the Rain when he was a kid (but he'd never admit that to anyone – he doesn't even think I know). I'm hoping we can go see The Lion King. I've heard it's really good; so let's just hope I can persuade Max to come along too…_

"Right then, Lizzie. Let's go explore this city!" exclaims Max excitedly, while stuffing his camera and several tour guides into his backpack.

I shake my head at his eagerness, but gather my things all the same and we head outside. It's not worth trying to drive anywhere around New York, but luckily there's a subway station right outside the hotel.

We take the subway down to Times Square and 42nd Street and I can't help the awed gasp that escapes my lips when we emerge from the underground.

"Wow," I grab Max's arm. "Look at this place. I can't believe I'm actually here!"

"I know," I hear from beside me and I look up to find Max gazing around at all the people and the buildings, the same awed expression on his face.

"Come on, let's find where they do the bus tours. I'm dying to see the sights," I tug on his arm, feeling like an excited child at Christmas.

He grins down at me and then shrugs his bag off his shoulders. "Okay, okay, we'll go in a sec. I just need to find the brochure, we don't want to get lost trying to find the right place do we?"

I wait impatiently while he consults his map, biting back a smirk at the intense look of concentration on his face.

"Okay," he says after a minute, raising his eyes to mine. "We just have to go this way, turn right at the junction and then it's on the next corner."

I roll my eyes and can't contain my snort, "So basically, we didn't need the map; it's only a few hundred yards away, and we could have just as easily found it on our own," I say.

He stares at me in confusion for a moment, before looking down at the map in his hands and realising what I'm referring to.

"I'm sorry, okay? I just like to be prepared," he defends his actions.

"Silly man," I smile good-naturedly and reach up to ruffle his hair. The confused expression returns and I fight the urge to roll my eyes again. "Never mind," I tell him, taking his hand in mine and dragging him off in the direction of the tour buses.

* * *

We have a great time checking out the sights. We decide on the Downtown tour, which takes us past Macy's, the Empire State Building, Fifth Avenue, Madison Square Garden, Central Park, Rockefeller Centre and the Statue of Liberty ferry. The tour allows you to get off where ever you like and then get back onto another bus later, so we went to the top of the Empire State Building, had a look around Macy's and took the ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

I had a brilliant, but exhausting day taking in the city and, from the look on Max's face as he sits next to me on the subway back to 94th Street, I can tell that he's pretty tired too. While we were on the tour bus, I managed to convince Max that we should go see The Lion King tomorrow and so before we left Times Square, we visited the theatre box office on 42nd Street and purchased tickets for the evening performance. We chose to eat dinner at the Appleby's restaurant near the Lion King theatre where the food was great, but a lot more expensive than back home in New Mexico.

We finally arrive back at our tiny room in the hotel at just past 10pm; even though it costs over $100 a night (which is even more than the Excalibur), there is barely enough space to get in and out of the bed, let alone to walk around the room.

By mutual agreement, we decide to go straight to bed in order to conserve our energy for another fun-packed day tomorrow. I grab my nightclothes from my suitcase and just as I'm carrying out an internal debate between changing in front of Max, who's standing on the other side of the bed, or taking the easier and less awkward option and using the bathroom, Max pretty much takes the decision out of my hands, grabbing his own shirt, pulling it over his head and giving me an eyeful of his bare, well-defined chest. I can't help lowering my eyes to his belly button and the trail of dark hair down to the elastic of his Calvin Klein boxer shorts, which are just showing above the waist of his jeans.

I gulp helplessly as his hand goes to his zipper, his long fingers pulling it down before he shrugs off his jeans. They fall to the floor and I realise that my best friend, well, boyfriend now, is standing only a couple of feet from me, dressed only in dark-blue boxer shorts. He steps out of his jeans and kicks them over to the wall, where they land in a heap on top of his previously discarded shirt.

Running his hand through his hair, Max looks up at me expectantly and I will my body to move, but it's like I'm frozen in place.

"So, are you going to get ready for bed now, or what?" he asks, adding a "Liz?" when I don't respond immediately.

"Oh, um," I shake my head. "Yeah, sure. Of course," I glance round helplessly, realising that I don't really have any other choice but to undress in front of him. Especially considering I'm the more experienced one here and since _he_ doesn't seem to have a problem with it, there's really no reason why I should either.

I place my clothes down on the bed and tentatively reach for the hem of my top. I think that Max realises that that he's watching me intently and that it's making me a little uncomfortable, because he suddenly busies himself with pulling back the bedcovers and getting into the bed. I pull off my top and reach for my long nightshirt, quickly slipping it on. I solve the problem of taking off my bra in front of Max by unhooking it underneath my shirt and then pulling the straps off my arms whilst still wearing the shirt. Max just fixes me with a weird expression as he glances up in time to see my bra being pulled out of one of the sleeves.

"What?" I ask somewhat indignantly.

His expression turns innocent, "Nothing," he says quickly. "Just, um," he points to the bra in my hand. "I've never seen anyone do that with their underwear before."

"Oh, it's an old trick that us girls use when we're in a public dressing room and want to change without embarrassing ourselves," I shrug, a smile tugging at my lips. "No big deal."

I pull off my skirt, safe in the knowledge that my shirt almost reaches my knees and that I won't be flashing him or anything, and lay my clothes neatly on the floor by the bed. I take off my make-up and brush my hair quickly, before reaching for the covers and sliding into the bed next to Max. We turn onto our sides to face each other and I tuck one hand underneath my cheek, resting the other on the bed in front of me.

"So," I start, trying to distract myself from the view of his naked chest, but the small amount of chest hair right in the middle of his upper torso is right in my line of sight and I just want to lean forward and…

"So?" he grins, watching as I involuntarily lick my lips.

I mentally shake my head and force myself to look up into his eyes. "Don't you just love this city?" I finally blurt out.

"Yeah, I do," he replies. "It's so different from the Southwest. I just can't believe you're going to be living all the way out here soon."

"I know," I say and move closer to him to snuggle against his chest.

My body relaxes as his arms come around me and I find myself surrounded by his scent. I try not to think about all the naked flesh beneath me, but my hand drifts up of it's own accord and my fingers begin tracing the fine hairs on his chest. I can feel his breath quicken and he shivers slightly below me. The thought that I can cause these reactions in him encourages me and I lift my head, replacing my fingers with a whisper of a kiss on his chest.

"Liz…" he sighs softly and the sound of his voice, makes me want to hear more, my plan of a special evening be damned. So, I begin to place tender kisses against his warm skin and at first, he sighs again and shifts a little, but after a few moments, I realise that no more movement or sound is coming from him. A quick glance up at his face confirms my suspicions.

Max is fast asleep.

I let out a quiet scoff and roll my eyes, shaking my head at him. Poor guy. He was so tired earlier; I practically had to shake him into staying awake on the subway. It's probably all that travelling we've done over the last few days. Although we shared the driving pretty much equally, he did the last stretch yesterday and then we were up early this morning for sightseeing – not that he was complaining or anything, in fact he was the one who insisted we get a move on; so, to be honest, I can't blame him.

A small smile plays on my lips as I pull the covers up around us and curl into his warm body. His arms are still pulled tightly around me and the feel of them makes me feel safe and loved.

As I relax, my head resting on his chest, I fall asleep with just one thought on my mind:

This is the life.

* * *

I guess I must have been as exhausted as Max last night because I don't wake up until after ten in the morning. Max is not in the bed with me and for a moment, I panic, wondering where he is; but then I hear the shower running in the bathroom and I sigh at my stupidity. It's not like he can go very far in this room anyway.

I yawn loudly (it's not as if he's going to hear me from here) and stretch languidly, making the most of the space in the bed. I smile as I feel the still-warm sheets where Max has been sleeping. Obviously, he's only just woken up as well. Normally I would be slightly annoyed at the fact that we slept so long when we have a whole city to explore, but I am just too relaxed to care this morning; and besides, we saw and did most of the important things yesterday, so we can afford to be a bit more flexible with our time.

I give one more stretch before pulling back the covers and slowly climbing out of bed. I decide against having a shower after Max is done, since I'm planning on taking one as part of my 'getting-ready' routine before we go to the show tonight, so I just pull on a sweater and denim skirt outfit and brush my hair back into a ponytail.

I feel along the front of my teeth with my tongue, deciding that I really need to clean them. Like I told Max before, I just hate not brushing as soon as I get up and I figure that since Max seems to have no problems undressing in front of me, I'm sure he won't mind if I use the sink while he's in the shower. After all, he will be out of sight behind the curtain.

I walk over to the bathroom door and knock lightly on it; but then I realise that he's not likely to hear it with the water running and so I knock more firmly.

"Max?" I call.

I wait a few seconds and when he doesn't reply I knock loudly once more and call his name again.

"Yeah?" comes his slightly muffled reply.

"Do you mind if I come in?" I ask. "I need to brush my teeth."

"Sure," he calls back. "Come on in."

"Thanks," I say as I turn the handle and slip into the room, closing the door behind me. As I walk over to the sink, I try not to focus on the thought of Max's naked body standing behind the shower curtain, barely a couple of metres away from me. The bathroom mirror has fogged up with the steam from the shower and I have to use my arm to wipe it away.

"Sleep well?" Max's smooth voice drifts across the room.

"Yeah, like the dead," I return with a smile, reaching for the toothpaste.

"Me too," he replies, his tone amused. "I'm sorry I feel asleep on you last night, though."

"Don't worry about it," I reassure him as I squeeze a small amount of the gooey substance onto my toothbrush.

"So, where are we going today then?" I hear him ask, barely a second after I've shoved the brush into my mouth and started brushing frantically.

"Mmm," is all I can manage with a mouth full of minty toothpaste.

I guess Max doesn't hear my mumbles because the next thing I know, his head pops round the edge of the curtain to peer at me in question. What a flattering position to be caught in by your boyfriend of barely a week!

He starts laughing as he gets a good look at my face and I just raise my eyebrows at him in a '_What?'_ gesture.

"Um, sorry," he smirks. "You just have a little…" he points to his chin and a quick glance in the mirror to my right shows that I have a trail of toothpaste foam running down my chin.

I roll my eyes and turn to spit it out in the sink, wiping my chin in the process.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny, Max."

He just grins and shakes his head at me, disappearing behind the curtain again.

Turning off the water in the shower, he asks again, "So today? What's going on? Apart from the show tonight, I mean."

"How about we do the uptown tour today?" I suggest. "It goes past here and up into Harlem."

His hand appears and reaches for his towel, pulling it off the heated towel rail on the wall.

"Sounds good," I hear from behind the curtain.

I'm about to say something more, but the sound of the curtain being pulled back and then the appearance of a dripping-wet, towel-clad Max emerging from the shower cuts off my train of thought. I bite back a sound of surprise and I feel my cheeks getting hot. No matter how many times I see his bare chest, my reaction is always the same. I wonder briefly, why it never affected me before this trip. Surely, I must have noticed this gorgeous body before this?

"Sorry," he grins as he steps out of the shower, seemingly oblivious to my apparent lack of speech, "I'll just get out of your way now."

He exits the bathroom, leaving me to support myself against the sink and that's when I decide that tonight's the night. We'll go to the show and have a great time, and when we get back, he's going to be ravished.

Tonight is going to be all about him.

* * *

The uptown tour is really interesting. We see all these really old churches and mosques and we get a taste of the part of Manhattan Island that you usually don't get to see in TV and films. After we get off the bus back in Time's Square, we grab some lunch from a small deli and then go shopping. We visit the large Toys 'R' Us store, which has a huge Ferris wheel inside it and then the Virgin Megastore next door.

As we walk around Times Square, I notice a big Hershey's store and drag Max inside it. Although I'm not too keen on Hershey's chocolate, my parents love it and I realise that I have to buy them lots of different flavoured bars and packets of Kisses.

We get back to the hotel in the early evening so that I can have enough time to shower and change for the show. Max doesn't know it yet, but I'm going to take him out to dinner afterwards. I saw an Olive Garden restaurant in the middle of Times Square earlier and I know how much he likes the food there.

After my shower, I get dressed, deciding on a purple strappy top with a crossover bust line and silver sequins along the top, a dark, flowing skirt and open-toed sandals. Max looks positively gorgeous in black slacks and a dark green shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing off his strong lower arms and the top couple of buttons casually undone.

Honestly, I can't stop staring as I watch him emerge from the bathroom, his hair combed just the way I like it (although I haven't told him that yet) and his face freshly shaved. We get ready to leave the room and he takes my hand in his. As he leans in to kiss my cheek, I get a whiff of his aftershave and have to close my eyes at the feelings that just that scent invokes in me.

We hail a cab down to 42nd Street since I would prefer not to take the subway at night, especially when I'm all dressed up and we end up making it to our seats in the theatre stalls just in time for the beginning of the show.

Three hours later, we leave the theatre completely in awe of the performance we've just witnessed. Before tonight, I'd been a bit sceptical of how the Lion King would work on the stage, but it was absolutely amazing. The way that the costumes were designed allowed the cast members to look just like real animals and the whole atmosphere that the show provided was just incredible.

Even Max, who is a self-proclaimed action-movie geek, loved it. I can tell by the way he's talking my ear off right now about the 'coolness that was the show' (his words, not mine). I'm getting a warm, fuzzy feeling just watching him, with his hands gesturing wildly as he talks. He's too wrapped up in everything we've seen that I don't have time to tell him about the dinner I have planned until we're right outside the Olive Garden. I have to stop and wait for him to realise that I'm no longer beside him before I can reveal my intention.

His eyebrows raise and his mouth opens in surprise when I tell him that I'm taking him to dinner.

"Liz, oh my God, this is too much. You didn't have to do this for me," he protests with a shake of his head. "And anyway, aren't I supposed to take _you_ out for dinner, not the other way around?"

"Max," I say, putting my hand on his arm. "I want to. And besides, you paid for the hotel in Vegas. This is the least I can do." I smile and add teasingly, "Just shut up and enjoy it while you can, because once I'm a student, I won't be able to afford to take you out to dinner."

He chuckles and I can tell that he's given in because he takes my arm and reaches out and opens the restaurant door for me.

"Table for two," I tell the waitress in the foyer. She nods and leads us to a small table in the corner. She hands us two menus and takes our drink order (two cherry cokes) before leaving us to decide what to order. A quick glance at the main courses makes me realise that we're going to have to budget. This is a lot more expensive than back home.

Luckily, Max notices this too and opens his mouth to protest once again, "Liz, maybe we shouldn't – "

"Hey, I've already planned this. There's no way we're not eating here now. We'll just have to be careful about what we order," I say, glancing back down at the menu. I scan my eyes over the cheapest dishes, realising that the more expensive ones sound much nicer. I deliberate over what to order for a couple of minutes, but then a smirk slides over my face. I've just had an idea.

"Hey, Max," I look up to find him looking at me instead of the menu. The expression on his face makes me blush, but I resist the urge to bury my face back in the menu. "Here's a thought; instead of both of us ordering something cheap, how about we just get one nicer dish and share?"

Max looks slightly dubious at my suggestion and I can't resist adding, "Hey, if we get spaghetti, maybe we'll get to have a Lady and the Tramp moment." I emphasise my point by wiggling my eyebrows suggestively and Max bursts out laughing. The sound of his deep chuckle makes me shiver and suddenly I can't wait until later, when we get back to the hotel.

"Okay, okay" he holds up his hands, in surrender a few moments. "You've convinced me. We'll share. Like you said, you never know what might happen," he winks.

We decide on the spaghetti bolognese, just for the hell of it. It's delicious, but sadly, we don't end up both chewing on the same strand of spaghetti, no matter how hard Max tries to find the two ends of the same piece for us to eat together. The desserts are too pricey for my budget, but that doesn't matter because the main course was filling enough.

When it comes time to pay the bill, Max tries to be sneaky and hide it while I'm in the bathroom, so that he can pay. But I know all his expressions, especially the guilty ones, and the second I return, I demand it back from him and pay it myself; although, at his insistence, I do let him take care of the tip.

We leave the restaurant hand-in-hand and while Max hails a cab, I take in the atmosphere of Times Square at night. I snuggle up to him on the ride back to 94th Street and his arm slips around his shoulders, pulling me close.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," he murmurs against my hair. "I had a great time."

I smile against his chest. "Don't thank me just yet," I tell him. "There's still more to come."

He pulls back slightly, the questions visible in his eyes; but he doesn't have time to say anything because at that moment, the cab pulls up outside the hotel. With a mischievous grin, I climb out of the car, leaving a bewildered and intrigued Max to pay the fare (I have no cash left on me).

He spends the entire elevator ride up to our room trying to make me tell him what exactly I have planned, but my lips are sealed. We step out of the elevator and I unlock the door to our room. Closing it behind us as we enter, I reach up and place a sweet kiss on his lips. His arms come around my waist and he tries to deepen it, but I have to pull away.

"Stay right there," I tell him with a grin. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be right back."

With a pout, he reluctantly lets me go and I step into the bathroom. I close the door and let my head fall back against it as I think about what I'm about to do for the first time in my life.

I'm so nervous; there are butterflies in my stomach and my hands are suddenly sweaty.

_Come on, You can do this_. I tell myself. _This is Max. He knows you better than anyone._

I take a deep breath to calm myself and then step away from the door. I give myself a quick once-over in the mirror and deciding that I look pretty much all right, I make my way back over to the door and open it, ready to face Max.

_TBC…_


	12. Chapter 12

**Part Twelve**

Max is sitting on the edge of the bed, his hands braced on his knees, when I re-enter the room. I think he's realised that I intend for something to happen between us tonight because he looks kind of nervous. I wonder if he knows what I'm planning for him.

I remember just then that when we talked the other day, he didn't mention whether or not a girl had ever…gone down on him, for lack of a better phrase…before. I make a mental note to ask him before I do anything.

"Hey," I say quietly and his head snaps up.

A smile breaks out on his face, "Hey, to you too." He frowns slightly, "You know, it's only been about two minutes since we last saw each other; I don't really think that 'Hey' is all that relevant right now."

I shrug. "I guess you're right. It just felt appropriate somehow," I say as I saunter casually towards him. I have to stop after two steps, however, because that's how far it is from the bathroom door to the bed. Damn these tiny New York hotel rooms.

His legs part and I slip between them, looking down at him. My fingers slide through his soft hair and he raises his head to gaze up at me. He places his hands firmly on my lower back, holding me close to him. I can't resist the smile that plays on his lips and I bend down to kiss him, one hand resting on either side of his head. As the kiss deepens, Max's fingers trace a slow, sensuous path up my spine. He comes to a stop with one hand at the base of my neck and the other splayed across my upper back; I shiver at the feel of his large, warm hand against my skin.

"Max," I gasp as he breaks the kiss and begins to drop feather-light caresses along my jaw line. At first, it feels so good that I can't think straight, but then I manage to come to my senses and push him away.

"What?" he protests as I shake my head. "I thought you wanted – "

"I do, Max," I cut him off. "But this isn't about me tonight, it's about you. I want to give _you_ pleasure this time, like you did for me last week."

His jaw drops open, "Liz, I can't expect you to – "

"Why not, Max? What's so different about _me _doing this for _you_ this time?" I ask, straightening up. His hand slides down my back again as I move.

He shakes his head. "It's just…you've never done this before and I had…I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable…" he trails off uncertainly.

"Max, you'd only done it once yourself before last week! And let me tell you, there was _nothing_ wrong with _your _technique," I grin. "I may be inexperienced in this area and I'll admit that I'm a little nervous, but I want to do this for you," I tell him earnestly. "And I'm hoping you'll help by showing me what you like…" I raise my eyebrow in suggestion, but he doesn't respond and it's then that I realise that he's no longer looking me in the eye.

Then it hits me.

"That's it, isn't it? You don't like it. You don't want to me to do this, do you?"

He shifts uncomfortably, "No, it's not that. It's just that…um, no one's ever, er, pleasured me that way before and I guess I'm not really sure what to expect and…I'm kind of nervous too. I mean, you're _Lizzie_, you're my best friend" he gestures towards me. "What if you, like, laugh at me or something? I'd never be able to look you in the eye again."

"Max," I tilt his chin up to face me. "I'm not going to laugh at you, okay? If anything, the thought of seeing you and touching you, is making me so turned on right now that I can't think straight," I tell him, watching as his eyes widen. "Please, Max. Let me do this; we'll experience it together - a first time for both of us."

I barely give him enough time to finally nod his consent because my arms are suddenly wrapped tightly around his neck and my lips are devouring his. Using my legs as leverage, I give a small push forward and Max falls back to the bed, pulling me down with him. A thrill runs through me at the feel of his strong, hard body pressed against mine and I can think of nothing else but that his tongue is caressing mine and our bodies are touching.

Somehow, our shoes get kicked off and we end up lying in the middle of the bed, my legs are straddling his hips as we continue to kiss.

Eventually, oxygen becomes an issue and we are forced to part. Max's head falls back against the pillows and he is breathing heavily. I take the opportunity, while he's catching his breath to move downwards, pressing soft kisses along his neck and collarbone, down to the opening of his shirt. I play with the fastened buttons for a moment, before casually unbuttoning a couple of them. I hear a gasp from Max as my fingers graze the newly exposed skin and I continue to unbutton his shirt, placing small kisses on his skin as it comes into view.

Before long, the shirt is completely open and I can run my fingers over the expanse of his bare chest, taking his shirt with them as I go. I reach his shoulders and he lifts off the bed slightly so I can ease the garment off him. I discard it on the floor and lean over him to admire a half-naked Max, my hair brushing his skin as I move.

"Liz…" he mutters and I look up to find his eyes closed. His hands rest gently on my hips and I smile at the picture he makes. I can't help it; I lower my upper body to his and capture his lips once more. He moans into my mouth and I part my lips to allow his tongue entry. I feel his hands move from my hips and up underneath my flimsy top, coming to rest on my lower back. His fingers begin a torturous assault on my skin and as the kiss deepens, his hands move further up over my back. Now it's my turn to gasp as he presses me more fully against him and I feel the bulge in his pants as it rubs against me.

"God. Max," I breathe into his mouth, and some of my nervousness dissipates.

With a rapid surge of confidence, I tear my mouth from his and make my way back down his chest, licking and nipping at his skin. My tongue circles his right nipple and his upper body jerks slightly. I smile against his chest, lingering there for a moment before moving to pay attention to the left one. As my mouth works, I let my fingers trail down over his stomach muscles, grinning when I feel them contract under my touch.

My fingers finally reach their destination, but I'm still a little hesitant when they come into contact with his erection straining against his clothing. Sensing my uncertainty, Max slides one hand out from under my top and covers my hand with his.

"Liz, hey," he whispers soothingly. "You don't have to do this if you're not ready."

I raise my head from his chest to meet his eyes. "I am ready, Max," I tell him. "I just, um…" I trail off, suddenly at a loss for words.

He seems to understand though, because he presses a gentle kiss to the top of my head and murmurs, "Look, we'll just do this together, okay?" As if to emphasise his point, he moves my hand to his zipper and together we pull it down. A hiss escapes his lips as some of the pressure is relieved and I glance up at his face to find it contorted with pleasure.

His reaction spurs me on and I gently ease his pants down over his hips, boldly running my fingers over the material of his boxers, feeling the hard length beneath them. This time, my actions elicit a moan from Max and I'm suddenly eager to hear more.

I want to make him lose control.

Starting at his belly button, I walk my fingers along the trail of hair that runs down to his boxers. When I reach the elastic, I teasingly slip my hand underneath it, letting out a small gasp myself as my fingers close around his hard flesh. He lets out another moan at the contact and suddenly I have this incredible urge to not only touch him, but to see him while I'm doing it. I take a deep breath, knowing that what I'm about to do will cross a line and that I can never go back once I've crossed it. This will be the first time I've ever seen _all_ of Max; that is if you don't count that time when we were four and he ran around my back yard completely naked before jumping into the paddling pool and thoroughly soaking me in the process. I mentally shake my head. Okay, not a good time to be recalling childhood memories!

Another quick glance up at his face and seeing his eyes still tightly shut gives me the confidence to continue and before I can change my mind, I lift the waistband and free him from the confines of his underwear.

Wow.

I'm not really sure what else to say at this point, or how else to describe him. He is magnificent, if you can really say that about a man's penis; I mean, they're not exactly the most attractive things in the world. But I guess the locker room rumours about him were true, he's definitely the biggest I've seen, although I've only technically seen two others in the flesh before.

I feel a little embarrassed about just sitting here and staring at him like this (at least he's not looking at me though), so I just let instinct take over and stroke him gently. A tiny smile plays on my lips as his breathing deepens and then starts to come in small gasps. Incensed, I move my fingers over him faster and then reach lower to lightly cup and caress his balls. His answering moan is all the encouragement I need and I lean forward, tentatively flicking my tongue out to taste the tip. Max's hips jerk in response and he whispers my name.

More confident now, I lean in again, but this time my tongue lingers slightly longer and then I take the whole tip in my mouth. His hands bury themselves in my hair and he gasps again.

"Oh God. Liz…"

Now fuelled by my own desire, as well as his, I daringly take more of him into my mouth, running my tongue over the smooth skin as my hand wraps around the rest of him, stroking steadily as my mouth does the rest.

He's panting now and his breathing is erratic. Not ceasing what I'm doing, I look up at his face again and find that he's opened his eyes and is now looking down at me, watching my every move beneath heavy-lidded eyes. I fight the urge to look away, and suddenly I find myself caught up in the obvious love and desire shining in his eyes and as his hands tighten in my hair, I feel a surge of warmth in my belly; now I'm too turned on to care about being self-conscious or embarrassed. A quick smile flits across Max's face before pleasure takes over again and his head falls back to the pillow.

"Oh God, Liz," he moans again, his eyes sliding closed once more. "Don't stop."

I focus all my energy on giving him as much pleasure as possible. I'm sucking and licking and pumping his length with one hand, the other gently cupping his balls once more.

Suddenly, without warning, his balls tighten and his body tenses.

"Liz, I'm going to…you have to…" he gasps then and tries to push my head away, but I'm not having it. It might be my first time doing this, but I want to experience everything about it and to be honest, I think it would be more awkward and well, messy, if I were to pull away now and have him 'reach his peak' all over himself (not to be crude or anything).

So, I shake my head and make a sound of protest in the back of my throat, which must have caused a vibration against him because just then his hands fist in my hair and he lets out a loud, gasping groan, his seed spilling into my mouth. It's unexpected, but not completely unpleasant. I swallow quickly and continue to give him pleasure until I've sucked him dry and he relaxes back onto the bed, catching his breath.

I let his softening member slip from my mouth and cover him up once again, discretely wiping my mouth while his eyes are still closed. Before I crawl back up the bed to him, I lean down and slide his pants off his legs, leaving him in just boxers. I admire his muscular thighs and calves as I go. Deciding that I can't be bothered to get ready for bed properly, I slip off my skirt as well and let it fall to join his trousers on the floor. I slide up the bed in my strappy top and panties until I'm face to face with him.

"Wow," his eyes open slowly and he gives me a lazy, but contented smile. "Hey," he whispers.

"Hey to you, too," I reply. He opens his mouth to speak, but I cut him off before he's even started. "And it was my pleasure."

"I love you," he states, earnestly.

"And I love you," I return happily.

His arm comes around me then and he leans down to kiss my lips. At first, I try to pull away, mindful of what I've just done, but he doesn't seem to care and I find myself giving in and kissing him back. He eventually pulls back and rests his forehead against mine, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Come on, let's get some sleep," he says and shifts to release the covers, pulling them over us. I rest my head on his chest, my arm around his waist.

"Goodnight, Max," I murmur softly.

"Goodnight, Lizzie," he whispers back. "And thank you for tonight."

I don't reply, but raise my head and place a kiss to the sensitive spot on his neck, just below his ear. He shivers slightly, but is too sleepy to do anything about it. I lay my head back down on his chest, relaxing against him, closing my eyes as I drift off to sleep.

* * *

"God, Liz, just stop, okay?" exclaims an irritated Max. "Please."

"Stop? Stop what? You're the one that keeps ignoring everything I say!" I cry, annoyed.

"That's because nothing that has come out of your mouth in the past hour as been particularly nice and it doesn't seem like you're going to get over…whatever it is that's making you act like this…anytime soon!" his voice raises steadily as he speaks, until he's practically shouting. "And I'm trying to concentrate on getting us to Cambridge. You know, so I can see the place that's going to be your home for the next four years."

"Yeah well, I can't help it if you're an uptight ass with no compassion for others," I grind out, crossing my arms over my chest as I turn away from him. I stare out of the window and try desperately to blink away the tears that are threatening to fall.

"What the hell, Liz? All I said was that maybe it's going to cost too much to visit some of the other cities on the East coast, and you totally bit my head off!"

He's right, of course. I've blown this entire conversation out of proportion. I honestly don't know what's wrong with me today. I don't want to fight with Max. Last night, when I pictured how we would be spending today, it definitely did not involve a full-blown argument between the two of us. But I guess I just woke up cranky this morning, which was a shame, considering the special night we just shared, but now I just can't seem to stop the harsh words from tumbling out.

I'm having a clumsy, nothing's-going-right-for-me, stressful day and it just so happens that Max is the only one around to take the heat. I really do love him, but I could really do with some alone time right now and being stuck in a car with him for several hours is really not helping my bad mood. As much as I don't want to let on that I'm trying not to cry right now, I can't control the small sniffle and hiccup that escape and I can feel Max's gaze on me.

"Liz," he starts tiredly. "I don't want to fight with you today and I'm sorry, okay? So let's just calm down and forget about it."

I whip my head round to face him, "No, I'm not going to forget about it. This isn't your fault; it's mine. I'm having a crappy day today and I'm taking it out on you. I don't mean to, but I am," I tell him seriously. "Look, I don't want to put a dampener on things, especially after last night, so it's probably best if we just give each other some space right now. Why don't I drive and then you can relax for a bit?"

Max nods, taking in what I've said, but he still refuses to let me drive.

"You just said it yourself: you're having a bad day. I'll handle the driving and you get some rest, okay? And we won't talk anymore, at least for now," he says and I nod in reply. "But, do you think maybe I could just hold your hand instead? You look like you could do with a bit of…subtle support," he smiles and although I'm still a little frustrated and annoyed, I find myself agreeing, my fingers curling round his as his large hand slips into mine. I squeeze his soft flesh lightly, letting him know that I'm grateful for his understanding and we continue to drive in silence.

As Max drives on towards Cambridge, all the while casually stroking my hand with his thumb and fingers, I let my thoughts drift back to last night. Looking back on it now, I feel kind of embarrassed about how forward I was with Max and when I woke up this morning, before the crankiness started, I was really worried that things would be awkward between us; but one glance into those gorgeous, sleep-filled, gold-flecked eyes and all my fears dissipated. We shared a tender kiss and muttered sweet nothings to each other, before I got up and promptly began dropping and knocking over everything that I touched and so my bad day began.

We ended up almost missing the deadline for vacating the room at the hotel because of my apparent inability to do anything right this morning; and then the traffic out of the city was really bad, but we're finally on our way to Massachusetts and Harvard University.

The warmth of Max's hand in mine is comforting and it soothes my frazzled nerves. I find myself drifting off to sleep within a few minutes of our truce being initiated and the next time I open my eyes, we are in Cambridge.

"Wow," I exclaim as we drive through the town. There are a lot of quaint shops and the place has a nice community atmosphere. "It's beautiful here. I can't wait to see the campus. What?" I ask when Max looks at me funny.

"You're going to school here, but you haven't even seen the campus yet?"

I huff indignantly, "Well, it's not like it's only a few hours away like UNM. I think two thousand miles is slightly far to travel for a quick campus tour." Max opens his mouth to say something, but I carry on regardless. "And besides, I've wanted to go here my whole life. Harvard is my dream," I say, gazing ahead at the beautiful scenery.

I hear a scoff and turn to Max to find him with his hands raised in the air in an act of surrender, "Okay, okay. I got it. No need to get your knickers in a twist."

For a second, I'm tempted to wipe that smirk off his face, but then I see a genuine smile creeping through and I realise that he was just teasing. I shoot him a glare, but the effect is ruined by the sudden urge to giggle that has just risen up in my throat.

Anyway, Max pulls up outside the university a few minutes later and together we set off on a tour of the campus, our earlier argument all but forgotten.

* * *

_Day 31 – Wednesday July 23rd 2002_

_Max and I spent the afternoon and early evening taking in Harvard University and I have to say, the architecture and the scenery here is wonderful. The buildings look really old fashioned and so different from New Mexico, where everything has been built Adobe style._

_We got to see the Biology Medical labs and the lecture theatres where I'll be taking my classes in the Fall and just seeing where I'll be living and studying got me all excited. Suddenly, I can't wait until next month when I'll be moving out here. Of course, it's going to be hell without Max, but simply the thought of working in those labs and making new biological discoveries sends a thrill though my body._

_We also had the chance to look around the residence hall where I'll be living come the end of August. It's right near the science labs and close to several of the local student hangouts. The rooms look really nice and I guess I'll have a roommate to get to know soon._

_Tomorrow, we've decided to drive into Boston and have a look around the city. Since it's close to Cambridge, I'll probably end up spending some time in the city and it will be nice to have a look around it before I finally come here._

_I feel kind of silly about it now, but when we found a motel to stay in for the night and finally had a chance to relax in our room, everything just caught up with me – the university, my bad mood all day – and I just burst into tears in the middle of watching a rerun of Friends and scoffing a pizza._

_Max was great. He didn't ask questions; he didn't get offended when I tried to shrug off his words of comfort; he just plucked the slice of pizza from my hands, and placed it on the box. Then he swept the few unruly strands of hair from my face and enveloped my in a warm hug. His hands rubbed my back soothingly and he whispered comforting words in my ear until I managed to calm down a little._

_It was like he understood that I hadn't meant to be so harsh to him today, that something was up and that I couldn't help flying off the handle at him about the littlest things and he seemed to take my little outburst in his stride. Eventually, I was able to get emotions under control again and when he was finally satisfied that I was back to normal again, Max left me to watch to more Friends episodes while he took a shower._

_That's where he is now: in the shower and the way things have been heating up between us lately, I would normally be thinking about the fact that he's currently standing naked behind that door and how much I'd like to ravish him. But tonight I'm just too tired and moodily depressed to consider it, so to pass the time until he's finished, I've been writing in my journal instead._

Just as I write that last sentence, the bathroom door opens and a clean, freshly shaven Max walks out in a T-shirt and boxers.

"Hey, you feeling any better?" he greets me with a smile, using a towel to dry his hair.

"Yeah, I am. Thank you," I send him a grateful look.

He drops the towel onto the back of the nearby chair and I have to suppress a giggle at the sight of his hair now. It's sticking up in all directions and makes him look about ten years old. Well, his face at least; the rest of his body is definitely not that of a ten-year-old.

"I'm sorry about earlier, in the car," I apologise as he leans down to pick up the box of remaining cold pizza and place it on the floor. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. It's like everything has been off-kilter or something and I just haven't been able to do anything right."

"Hey, don't worry about it, okay? We all have our bad days," he tells me, sitting down next to me on the bed "Remember the other week when we drove to the hotel at Disneyland? I was having a really crappy day then, just like you're having today. I didn't mean to, but I took it out on you and I barely spoke to you that whole day. It wasn't your fault and I shouldn't have ignored you like I did, but I had some stuff going on in my head and my problems just spilled over onto you. I'm sorry for that, but you didn't hold it against me, just like I'm not going to hold this against you today. So let's just forget about it, okay?"

"Okay," I manage, touched by his apology and explanation. My mind wanders as I remember the few days we spent at Disneyland and I remember something that happened, or almost happened while we were there. With everything that was going on, I'd forgotten to ask him about it.

"Max, you know when Aiden showed up in California, just after we'd been on the river rapids? You started to say something to me, but we got interrupted. What were you going to say?"

Max frowns in confusion for a moment, but then his face clears and, for some reason, he blushes.

"Oh, um," he ducks his head, biting his lip before looking back up. "I was going to tell you how pretty you looked soaking wet; and I think maybe I would have told you how I'd been feeling about you the previous few days. How jealous I was when I saw you with Aiden. How you mean so much more to me than just a best friend. I would have told you that you're my whole world, Liz."

"Wow," I breathe. "You were going to tell me all of that? Man, Aiden really has bad timing. Max, you should have stopped me from going out with him that night," I scold.

"Would you have listened to me?"

"Okay, probably not," I concede. "Not if you didn't explain why you didn't want me to go."

"Exactly."

"Oh no," I hold my hand to my head. "That's why you got mad when I got back, isn't it? Wow, I really messed that up, didn't I?"

"Hey, don't worry about it. It all worked out in the end, so why bring it up now?" he reasons and I find myself agreeing with him. "Hey, you must be exhausted. Why don't you go wash up and we'll go to bed, okay?"

"Alright," I say and climb out of the bed. "I'll see you in a minute."

Ten minutes later, we're curled up together in bed. Max is lying behind me, his head propped up on his hand. His fingers are caressing my shoulder and upper arm and it's sending me to sleep.

"I love you, Liz," are the last words I hear before sleep takes over.

_TBC…_


	13. Chapter 13

**Part Thirteen**

I wake up the next morning in possibly the most uncomfortable position I've ever slept in. Max's arm is stretched out along the pillow, supposedly supporting my head, except that my neck is currently bent backwards over his forearm and the back of my head is touching the pillow. I am lying half on my side with the arm closest to Max squashed up against his side at the oddest angle. With a soft groan, I try to lift my head, only to discover an ache in my neck and a throbbing headache. Careful not to disturb Max, I push my body up into a sitting position and hold a hand to my head, almost swaying with the dizziness that my actions have caused. Gently, I ease myself off the bed and still holding my hand over my eyes, I fumble around for my wash bag, where I keep a packet of painkillers.

My intended stealthy journey to the bathroom is disrupted when I trip over a pile of clothes that I left on the floor last night and almost go flying into the nightstand. I mutter a curse and stumble into the bathroom, wincing when I flick the light switch and the brightness practically blinds me. Cautiously moving to sit on the toilet seat, I rummage in my wash bag for the painkillers, but my fingers are clumsy and the bag slips out of my hands and onto the floor, the entire contents spilling out in all directions. I let out a tired and frustrated sigh before leaning down to gather up my things, my eyes staying half-closed from the pain in my head.

I finally get hold of the tablets and quickly down two of them with a glass of water. I sink back against the wall, trying to build up enough energy to stand again, but I suddenly feel a twinge in my belly and cease my movements. Ouch. My hand flies to my stomach, as if that's going to help dim the sudden pain. My other hand comes up to my forehead again and I let out a deep breath.

My period. I should have known it. Especially after how I was acting yesterday – talk about PMS-ing! My periods have never been totally regular, but it has been almost six weeks since the last one. I really don't know how the fact that I was due, could have slipped my mind.

Oh, wait, I do.

One word.

Max.

I reach into the bag again, this time searching for my tampons.

My head throbs in response to the awkward position and pain courses through my abdomen once more.

It's just going to be one of those days.

* * *

"Liz? What's wrong?"

Slumped on the toilet seat, with one hand pressed to my stomach and the other holding my head up at the side of the sink, is how Max finds me half an hour later. After sorting myself out, I somehow managed to shuffle back into the room and slip a pair of sweatpants and one of Max's oversized t-shirts on over my small, dressy top and panties.

I don't have the strength to move my head to look up in the direction of his voice; but a soft moan escapes my lips, letting him know that I heard him. Barely a second later, I hear movement from behind me as Max crosses the small room and then crouches down beside me, watching my face in concern.

"Feel sick," I supply in response to his questioning gaze. He frowns and I realise that he must think I have food poisoning or something. "Period," I add.

"Oh," he replies, slightly uncomfortably. As you probably can imagine, my menstrual cycle is another topic that Max and I have never really discussed before. "You know, you really don't look so great. Is there anything I can do?" he asks tenderly, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly with his hand.

I try for a smile, but it doesn't come off and only serves to aggravate the throbbing in my temple. "Help me up?" I ask timidly.

"Okay," he smiles, but instead of supporting my weight so that I can get to my feet, he simply bends down to scoop me up into his arms and then carries me back into the bedroom.

He carefully lays me back down on the bed and I curl up on my side, my hands clutching my stomach. Max takes a seat beside me, gently stroking my hair away from my face.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can get for you? Some painkillers? Something to drink?" he asks softly.

I try to shake my head, but it just makes me dizzy again. "I've already taken something," I whisper throatily. "It just hasn't kicked in yet."

"Okay," he nods. "So, if I can't do anything to help, can I just hold you instead?" he asks almost hesitantly, as if he's afraid he'll hurt me, and I can't help the smile that touches my lips. I reach up and cover his hand with mine, bringing it to my lips, I place a light kiss on his fingertips.

"I'd love that," I reply and he smiles again.

He gets up and as I wait for him to move around to his side of the bed, I let my head relax against the pillow and close my eyes. A sigh escapes my lips as I feel the bed shift behind me and then his warm body comes to rest against my back. His arm wraps around my waist and he buries his face in the back of my neck. Having Max there, holding me to him, makes me feel better, if only a little, and I find myself drifting off to sleep again.

When, I wake up a couple of hours later, I find that we've shifted positions and now my face is buried in Max shirt. He still has one arm around me, but my arm has somehow slipped beneath his and is currently wrapped around his trim waist. Our free hands are resting together, between us on the bed. Our fingers are entwined, just like our legs. I move my head to peer up at Max's attractive features, which at present are peaceful in sleep; when I do so however, I also realise that the pain in my head is all but gone and I feel much better.

I don't make any attempt to move though, I'm content to just lie here in Max's arms and watch him sleep. My gaze travels from the few strands of hair that have fallen across his smooth forehead, down over those impossibly long eyelashes and beautiful nose, eventually coming to rest on his perfect lips. Suddenly I can't take my eyes off them and licking my lips in anticipation, I lean in to taste them.

"Hey," comes the amused whisper, just before our lips touch and I jump in surprise. But Max is simply smiling down at me sleepily.

"Oh my God, you scared me," I whisper back.

"_I _scared _you_? You're not the one who woke up to find someone practically attacking them!" he exclaims quietly.

"I did not attack you," I pinch his waist. "Anyway, it's not my fault you're so cute when you're asleep; I just couldn't resist."

He raises his eyebrows smugly, but I can still see concern in his expression; concern for me. "So I guess you're feeling better then?"

I nod, "A little. My head doesn't hurt anymore, at least."

"That's good," he murmurs and places a kiss on my forehead.

We lay together quietly and it is a few moments before either of us speaks again.

"Max?"

"Hmm?"

"Remember the other week in Arizona, when we got drunk?"

He shifts slightly, a slightly frown appearing on his face, "Yeah."

"Well, um, what happened between us that night…when we kissed…was it really just because you were upset about Tess?" I ask, unconsciously biting my lip in anticipation of his response.

He doesn't say anything at first, just fixes his gaze on something above my head and I start to get worried; but a moment later, he clears his throat.

"You know, at the time, I didn't really know why I kissed you. I guess I just convinced myself that I was hurting and upset about Tess cheating on me and that's why it happened; but I think that was just an excuse not to analyse what I was feeling for you. I mean, first I had to deal with Tess and then I walk out to find you all cosy with some guy...and it just threw me, I guess."

"Oh…" I breathe.

"But what about you?" he continues. "I've been telling you all these things about me and what I've been feeling, but you haven't mentioned why _you_ kissed _me_ that night."

I gaze into his eyes as I consider the question. Why had I kissed him? At that point, I hadn't admitted to myself that I was feeling more than friendship for him. So why? The best answer I can come up with is "I think that it was partly the alcohol. I mean, we were sitting there and I was feeling all warm and fuzzy from the drink, and suddenly I couldn't keep my eyes off you. It was like I was just noticing you for the very first time. Your soft skin, your eyes, those eyelashes, your cute nose and those beautiful lips…" my gaze fixes on the lips in question. "I realise now that deep down, I've always felt that way about you, but at the time it was the alcohol that made me look at you differently and I couldn't stop myself. When we kissed, it was like I was on fire. And you know what was racing through my mind afterwards?" Max shakes his head and his eyes widen curiously. "I was thinking: Wow, Max is a great kisser!"

Max just laughs throatily at my confession and I feel tingles go down my spine at the sound.

"You were really thinking that?" he asks with a grin. "What a coincidence, that's just what I was thinking that night too! Well, that and 'why did I never pluck up the courage to do that before?'" he chuckles and I can't help joining in.

When our laughter dies down a couple of minutes later, I find myself staring into Max's eyes and my breath catches in my throat. His expression mirrors that of the night in San Francisco when we finally kissed for real.

"Max?" I whisper.

He shakes his head in the negative, a slight movement, and before I know it, we are kissing hungrily. I gasp into his mouth as his hand slides down from my neck towards my belly, gently cupping my breast on the way.

"Liz," he whispers into my mouth when he reaches my bottom and holds me closer to him. His hand slowly creeps round from my backside and over my hips until he reaches the juncture of my thighs. My legs part slightly and his hand brushes my clit through my panties and sweatpants.

I gasp, tearing my mouth from his at the sensation of his fingers touching me, albeit indirectly.

"God, Liz. I want…"

The longing in his voice brings me to my senses and I place my hands on his chest to push him away. His expression is a mixture of confusion and hurt and I realise that pushing him away like that was probably not the best reaction.

"Max, we can't," I murmur grudgingly. "My period…"

"Oh," Max lets out, in realisation, removing his hand from between my legs. "I'm sorry. I forgot for a moment there…"

"Hey, don't worry; I forgot too," I roll my eyes at myself in exasperation. I fall back down to the bed with a sigh and watch as Max mimics my actions. "Well, this sucks. I was really in the mood as well."

"Yeah, it does," he agrees. "So, no nookie for a few days, then, huh?"

"Guess not," I agree. "Wait. Did you just say 'nookie'?"

"Um…"

"Since when do words like 'nookie' come out of _your_ mouth, Max Evans?" I exclaim in mock horror. "My God!"

He shifts uncomfortably, "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, Parker. So, I say stupid things sometimes; so sue me."

I roll my eyes again, at him this time and we lie in silence for a while.

It's Max who breaks the silence a few minutes later, "So, you feeling up to seeing Boston today, Miss Parker? Cos we'd better get a move on if we're going to have time to see it all."

"Yeah, I'm up to it, _Mr. Evans_," I stress playfully. "Just don't expect me to go running and jumping around the city or anything, okay?"

"Let's get going then!" he exclaims and gets off the bed. Holding out a hand he pulls me up too and less than half an hour later, we've checked out of the hotel and are on our way into Boston.

And I'm driving this time.

* * *

Okay, so what Max didn't tell me when he agreed to let me drive, was that Boston is only a few minutes from Cambridge, so basically I've only driven a couple of miles in the last few days! Bastard (and I mean that in the nicest way – honest).

Anyway, we're in Boston by lunchtime, so before we set off to explore the city, we decide to stop for sandwiches in a small café.

"So," Max begins through a mouthful of chicken teriyaki sandwich. He swallows. "How's your stomach? Is it any better?"

My hand goes to my belly, rubbing it soothingly, "A little," I reply, touched by his thoughtfulness. "The pain comes and goes. But right now, it's gone."

"That's good," he smiles. "But let me know if you feel ill again, cos we don't have to try and get everything done all at once, you know."

"Okay, I will," I return his smile. "Thanks."

He shrugs and ducks his head, returning to his sandwich.

"I mean it, Max. Thank you," I tell him sincerely, reaching across the table to take his hand. "And not just for helping me this morning. Thank you for putting up with me yesterday. I didn't know _what_ was wrong with me then; it didn't even occur to me that it was, you know," I lower my voice, "the time of the month."

"Oh, butI knew, Lizzie," he grins, squeezing his hand more tightly around mine.

My smile drops. Crap. "What? You knew what was wrong with me? Shit…" I trail off. "How?"

"How what? How did I know?" he looks puzzled for a second.

"Yes," I hiss, mortified that he'd realised what was going on before I had.

"Oh," he says. "Well, you know, I have been around you a lot over the last few years. And I do have a twin sister. I pick up on things; I know what it means when you or Isabel, or any girl really, is unusually tired, stressed and weepy," he admits sheepishly.

"But, if you knew, why did we have that stupid argument in the car yesterday?" I shake my head, embarrassed, "You should have ignored how I was acting and carried on driving. Everyone else does when I get like this," I roll my eyes and he smiles again.

"I didn't realise that's what it was then, otherwise I wouldn't have got so annoyed. But you'll notice that I tried to make it up to you later on," he reminds me, reaching for his coke with his free hand.

"Yeah, you did; and thank you. I really didn't mean to burst into tears on you. I just needed to let off some steam and crying is what came out. You know, I actually have no idea what it was about life that I found so stressful last night," I frown and scrunch up my nose, trying to remember what exactly had set me off.

"Wait, I know what it was," grins Max, with a wiggle of his eyebrows, setting his glass back down on the table. "You were watching Friends, when it occurred to you how much you're going to miss your own best friend a.k.a…me, when you come here in a few weeks and you couldn't bear the thought of leaving me all alone to fend for myself in big, scary Albuquerque; so you did the only thing you could – cry over me," he holds his hand over his heart as he finishes.

My mouth drops open and removing my hand from his, I lean across the table to lightly punch his arm, "You are so full of yourself, Max Evans!" I grin. "Like I would ever cry over you."

It was meant to come off as a joke, but the second the words spill from my mouth, I realise that chances are, I _will_ be crying over Max in the near future, when we have to go our separate ways in just over a month. However, I'm not going to admit that to him just now.

"Aww, come on, Lizzie; no need to be so harsh," he whines pitifully, still clutching his chest. His voice snapping me out of my thoughts and causes me to roll my eyes.

"Oh, shut up, Evans and eat your food," I shoot back quickly.

"Man, why are you uptight all of a sudden? Was it something I said?" he grins again, but tucks in anyway.

I fix him with a mock death glare and turn my attention to the tuna-melt sandwich in front of me. But I have to hide a smile; teasing Max is fun today!

* * *

Boston is a lovely city. Max and I visit Quincy Market and the Boston T train; and I manage to get a gorgeous picture of the downtown skyline. I can tell that I'm going to like living close by. The east coast is so different from the southwest; the atmosphere, the streets and buildings; even the people seem a little different, but not in a bad way, of course.

"Hmm," I sigh, leaning against the railing that overlooks the water. "I really like it here. Isn't Boston a great place?"

There's no reply from my left where Max is standing and I look over to find his head buried in a magazine. He hasn't even heard me!

"Oi, Max!" I exclaim, elbowing him in the side. He looks up in bewilderment. "I thought we were supposed to be enjoying the sights of Boston here, not walking round with our noses buried in the latest issue of…what is it you're reading?" I grab the front of the magazine so I can see the cover. "Max! FHM? I can't believe you!"

"What's wrong with that?" he asks defensively. "You've never minded when I've read it before."

I roll my eyes at his stupidity. "I wasn't your girlfriend then!" I tell him, as if it should be obvious, but he still looks confused, so I have to explain further. "You're not supposed to ogle half-naked women in magazines in front of your girlfriend. It's not polite."

"Liz, I'm confused here, you've always told me that you didn't mind – " he starts. But I don't let him finish; I just cross my arms and start walking away from him. I'm overreacting, I know, but it's these damn hormones and my stupid period.

Normally, I wouldn't give a shit whether Max was reading FHM or not. It's never bothered me before. He's a teenage guy; it would be kinda weird if he didn't read guy's magazines. I think maybe I just said it because I was trying to act more like a girlfriend and less like a best friend; but the more I think about it, the more I realise that it's something that someone like Pam Troy or any of the other brainless cheerleaders would say to their boyfriends, but I'm not that type of person.

I come to a stop a few feet away from where I left Max, but when I turn to go back and apologise to him for flying off the handle at him, I practically walk right into him.

"Liz!" he exclaims in surprise. "Look, I'm sor – "

"No, Max. Stop," I cut in, placing a hand against his chest. "_I'm_ sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. Go ahead and read the magazine, I don't have a problem with it, it's just my stupid hormones going crazy today."

His hand covers mine on his chest, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. "Hey, it's no big deal, okay? Thanks for apologising, but there was really no need. And for the rest of the day, I'm all yours." I smile at him in return and before I know what's happening, his lips are on mine and we're making up big time.

I manage to keep my hormones in check for the rest of the day and we spend the time enjoying each other's company. I try my hardest to keep positive and upbeat, but my currently oversensitive emotions keep reminding me that this wonderful trip is not going to last much longer and I need to make the most of it.

We decided earlier that we really don't have enough money to travel to any more of the big cities and since I'll be living out here soon, there will probably be several chances to explore New England in the future; maybe even with Max. Therefore, after we leave Boston tomorrow, we'll be heading back towards New Mexico.

The good news though, is that because we're travelling by car, it will take us a few days to get back, maybe longer if we stop off at other places on the way back home.

But right now, I'm going to savour how I'm feeling right this moment. We are walking back to the jeep and Max's arm is looped casually over my shoulder, his fingers tracing small patterns on my skin. Wanting to feel him closer to me, I slip my arm around his waist and hook my fingers into one of his belt loops. Max's head turns to look down at me, a half-smile, half-smirk gracing his full lips and I can't help but smile back. We're having a moment; and I don't think I want it to end. I let out a sigh of contentment as he nuzzles my neck, tightening his arm around me.

No more words are spoken as we continue the short journey back to Max's car and we don't talk again until we reach the motel where we've booked into for the night.

_TBC…_


	14. Chapter 14

**Part Fourteen**

_Day 33 – Friday July 25th 2002_

_We've left Boston now and are on our way back towards Roswell. It's over 2000 miles away, so it's not like we're gonna be home tomorrow or anything, but I'm already starting to feel nostalgic about leaving all this and our trip behind._

_My period decided to arrive yesterday, which unfortunately rules out any chance for things to progress with Max just now (you know what I mean), but usually they only last 3 or 4 days so it shouldn't be long before we can go back to normal again. Max has been really great about it though. I woke up in total agony yesterday morning, but he was really sweet and took care of me until I felt better. Thankfully, the cramps have passed now so all I have to do is wait it out._

_Despite all that, I couldn't be happier today. We're driving down the freeway, back towards New York City, with the top down. My hair is blowing in the wind and the heat from the sun is warming my skin. Unfortunately, this journal may end up flying out of my hands at any moment, so I think I'd better stop now…_

I close the journal carefully, trying not to crease the pages in the wind. I slip my sunglasses down over my eyes from where they were resting on top of my head, and lean back against the headrest, my feet propped up on the dashboard. I sigh luxuriously at the feel of the sun on my face and Max's hand caressing my bare leg (thank goodness I shaved this morning). I turn my head to watch him as he drives, my eyes hidden behind the dark glasses. He's concentrating on the road, his serious expression shows that he is focused completely on driving and I realise that the movement of his hand on my leg is purely instinct on his part – he doesn't seem to realise he's doing it.

I take this time, while he's off in his own little world, to study his profile. It's strange; suddenly, I'm struck with a moment of clarity and it almost feels like this past week and a half have been a dream. It's as if, right now, I'm simply sitting in the car with my best friend and none of the relationship stuff has happened between us. But then I drop my eyes to his upper arm, the muscles peeking out from the short sleeves of his T-shirt, flexing as his arm moves and my thoughts take a turn. My feelings change from friendly to lusty in a matter of seconds and a grin spreads across my face.

I wonder if it will always be like this – if in the future, Max and I will be able to revert this easily between being friends and being lovers when necessary. I just know that there will be times when I'll need his opinion as a friend and not just my boyfriend and vice versa. But I also don't want us to stop talking about the things we used to discuss when we were just friends; although I don't know if that will be possible anymore; maybe there's like this unwritten rule or something that I don't know about, which states that once you enter a relationship with your best friend, some topics of conversation are just off limits.

"What are you thinking about?" Max's voice startles me from my musings.

I raise my eyes to his face to find him watching me out of the corner of his eye. He's lost that intense look of concentration now, but his fingers are still moving up and down my leg.

"Not much," I shrug with a grin and he smiles.

"That's a pretty serious expression for someone who's not thinking about much," he teases, before glancing at the road again.

I shrug (not that he can see me anyway) but don't offer anything else. For now, I'm just happy to keep my thoughts to myself. Instead, I change the subject to something more interesting.

"So, how do you think everyone's going to react when we get home?" I ask.

"React?"

"To our new-found relationship," I clarify.

"Oh," he says in understanding. "You know, I haven't really thought about it yet," he admits. "I've had other things on my mind," he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and I have to bite my lips to prevent myself from giggling girlishly. God, what this man can do to me with just one look!

"You know what? I bet some people won't be surprised though," I say then, remembering San Francisco.

"Oh?"

"Well, you already told me what Isabel said. So, there's her, for one," I point out.

"Yeah, that's true. But she's in San Francisco, not Roswell," he corrects.

"Ah, but your forgetting the other person that was there too," I remind him.

"What, Alex?" he asks incredulously. "Why wouldn't Alex be surprised?"

"Well, see there's this thing I didn't tell you about before," I start, a little embarrassed that I'm actually telling him this.

"Oh?" he repeats, intrigued this time.

"When we first met them and you were talking to Isabel, Alex and I sat down to talk and he asked me…" I trail off, almost losing my nerve. "He asked me if you and I had quote unquote '_got it on yet?'_"

Max's mouth falls open in surprise. "My god! Where did he get that idea from?" he wonders. "What did you say?"

"Well, of course I completely denied that anything would ever happen between us and then I told him, in no uncertain terms, to drop it."

"You did?" he looks almost offended.

"Well, what else was I going to say? 'Why yes, Alex. In fact, I've been having all these fuzzy, warm feelings for him these past few days and all I can think about right now is how much I want to boink him.' I'm sure that would have gone down well!"

Max starts laughing then, but the sound dies down quickly when he realises what I've just said. "Wait. You wanted to 'boink' me?"

"Well, I uh," I look down, embarrassed. "I guess that was a bad choice of words there, but basically, yeah," I admit. "Or at least, do _something_ with you."

He exhales with a low whistle, "Well, then I think it's a good thing that Isabel made us go out to dinner that night, because seeing you in that dress – wow!" He pauses for a moment before saying anything more. "You know, I spent that whole evening trying desperately to keep my hands off you; and then when we got back to the hotel, I just couldn't _not_ kiss you."

His hand stills on my leg and I have to turn my head for a second so that he doesn't see the blush that has risen on my cheeks at his softly spoken words. When I've finally gotten my hormones under control, I turn back to him.

"You know, that night, when we were at the restaurant, I felt so comfortable. I had two of my best friends around me, laughing and joking; and then there was you. You kept sending me these cute glances and smiles and the whole atmosphere of the evening just filled me with warmth and happiness. I was so content then, but when you kissed me afterwards, well that just made my day." I smile fondly at the memory. My gaze catches Max's and our eyes lock for a second before Max has to turn back to watch the road.

I lean my head back against the seat again, but my relaxation is short-lived, when a couple of minutes later, Max spots an exit and pulls off the freeway. Parking outside a small waffle house at the side of the road, he turns to me, one hand still stroking my leg tenderly as the other reaches up and cups my neck, pulling me to him for a passionate kiss.

After a crappy couple of days, this has been the perfect morning.

* * *

_Day 34 – Saturday July 25th 2002_

_After our little detour off the freeway yesterday and a rather large brunch of waffles, bacon and eggs, we switched places and I drove for a while. We managed to make it just south of Washington DC before we had to turn in for the night. Max apologised that we didn't get to see any of the capital city, but since we've spent nearly all our money now, we really can't afford to stay any more nights than necessary, especially in expensive towns like Washington. It doesn't really matter though, I'm sure we'll be able to visit DC at least once over the next 4 years that I'm living on this side of the country._

_Who knows, maybe I'll be able to surprise Max with a trip here or something on a future anniversary of ours (I'm living in hope here). _

_Anyway, we found a pretty nice motel to stay in last night. It was really cheap, but not skanky and gross like a couple of the others we stayed in one the way out here. Max and I spent the evening talking and laughing just like we always used to before this trip – anything to keep our minds off other things we could be doing if it weren't for my frustrating, annoying menstrual cycle!_

_Today we're heading down to the Interstate 81, which will take us down to Tennessee and then from there we'll get on the I40 and eventually arrive back in Albuquerque. I know that neither of us is in a rush to get back, so we're going to see how far our money will stretch and try to visit some of the south as we go. We've decided to alternate with the driving so that we don't get too tired. Max is starting off this morning and then I'll take over again around midday – kinda of like we did yesterday…_

"Hey, Liz. You about ready to go?" Max asks as he emerges from the motel bathroom, stopping to groan at me sitting on the bed, journal in hand. "You're not writing in that thing again are you?" he questions in mock annoyance.

"Oh, shut up, you," I scold playfully. "You're just jealous because I still won't let you read it. Never gonna happen, by the way," I add before he has time to open his mouth and beg. "No matter how much closer we get."

"But – " he tries, but I cut him off with a glare and he rolls his eyes. "Fine, but don't try to get me to spill any secrets to you in the future, cos my lips will be sealed."

"Really? Is that a challenge?" I ask, my eyes lighting up with the possibilities. "Cos, you know, I bet I could get them out of you eventually."

He laughs. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," I nod confidently.

"And how exactly would you go about extracting that top secret information," he asks smoothly, sauntering slowly towards the bed.

"Oh, I have my ways," I inform him slyly.

He licks his lips, moving in towards me. "Do tell," he invites. His eyes begin to drift closed and I take the opportunity to slip off the bed and grab my bags from the floor.

"Not on your life," I smirk. "So, are we leaving now, then?"

I turn on my heel and head out of the door, not giving him the opportunity to respond.

"Hey, Lizzie, no fair!" I hear him shout as I swing the bags into the back seat of the jeep and I try, unsuccessfully I might add, to look innocent as he appears in the open doorway of the motel room.

Max is so easy to wind up!

* * *

_Day 35 – Sunday July 27th 2002_

_It's taken us almost two days, but we've now arrived in Memphis, Tennessee. It's pretty late and we have been travelling all day, but tomorrow we're off to Graceland. Cheesy, I know, but we can't go to Memphis and not visit the home of the King! _

_Since Max keeps complaining about me writing in this diary, I sent him out for food so that I could write in peace. He'll probably be back soon though, so I'd better make this quick – I'm starving! Driving all day is tiring and I'd forgotten how humid it is down here in the South. In New Mexico, its dry, desert heat, but here it's almost 100% humidity. It's like walking into a steam room every time you go outside!_

_It seems crazy, but now we're getting closer to home, I find myself getting teary eyed a lot more often at the thought of our trip coming to an end. It's funny, because I've never really thought of myself as a person who gets emotional about these kinds of things, but suddenly the thought of not spending all day, every day with Max is making me depressed._

_Wow, that sounds kind of morbid, doesn't it? _

_Maybe I haven't quite got over the whole PMS thing just yet…_

Not really in the mood to write a long, in-depth journal entry tonight, I close the book and stick it back in my bag. With nothing else to do but wait for Max to return, I reach for the novel that I've been trying to read over the last couple of weeks, although I have to admit that I've barely picked it up since Max and I got together. For once, real life has been much more interesting than anything written in a book.

I don't have to occupy myself with the book for long thought, because a few minutes later, Max returns to the room with two fast food bags. He sends me a smile as he closes the door behind him and shrugs apologetically,

"Sorry, fried chicken was all I could find," he indicates to the paper bags in his hand. "Hope you don't mind."

He so looks cute with his contrite expression that I can't resist teasing him.

"Max!" I put on my whiniest voice. "What were you thinking? I can't eat fried food; it'll go straight to my hips! Didn't they have a salad or something else less fattening?"

I have to bite the inside of my mouth to keep from laughing as his expression falls and he looks down at the food in dismay.

"Liz," he starts; his voice is showing signs of tiredness. "Look, it was either this or nothing. I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to just deal with it tonight, okay?"

That's it. I know it only lasted a few seconds, but I can't keep it up anymore. The corners of my mouth lift in an uncontrollable smirk and I slap my hand to my face to smother the giggle that erupts from my throat.

Max's mouth drops open and he looks confused for a moment, but then I think he realises that I'm messing with him, because he rolls his eyes. "Liz!"

"Sorry," I manage, trying to catch my breath, "couldn't help it."

Shaking his head somewhat incredulously, he moves towards the bed, tossing one of the paper bags to me before placing the other on the bedside table. I can't help following his movements with my eyes, taking in the way his muscles flex beneath his (fairly tight) T-shirt. You know, he's never really worn tight T-shirts before. I wonder, does the reason he's wearing one now have anything to do with me?

Impulsively, I shift on the bed and reach out to touch his arm. Slightly startled, his head comes up to face me and before he can react further, I pull him to me and slide my lips over his. The kiss is sweet and gentle and a shiver passes down my spine at the feelings it invokes in me.

"Huh," Max breathes several seconds later as we part. "That was, um…" he manages, his eyes still closed.

I take a moment to study his gorgeous features whilst he is unaware of my gaze and I can't help the grin that appears on my lips.

I lean in, whispering in his ear, "I love you."

He pushes me away from him slightly, so that I can look his into his eyes. "You know, I never thought I could ever be this happy or this in love," he confesses and suddenly I feel a lump in my throat. "When I was a kid, I always hoped that when I was grown up I would meet someone, get married and have kids; but as I got older and learned about life, I wasn't sure if it would really ever happen. But you've given me hope Liz, hope that maybe one day, we'll get to experience all of that and be happy."

"Oh, Max," I practically swoon (Swoon? My God, what century are we living in here?).

A small scoff escapes from his lips and he rolls his eyes, "I just heard that as you must have done, and it was just so cheesy and kind of ahead of myself, wasn't it?"

"Maybe," I concede, tracing the pattern on his shirt, "but I'm a girl; we like all that romantic, cheesy crap," I tell him. "So feel free to keep on saying it; I'm not gonna complain."

"Although, I'm probably going to have to get used to _not_ saying cheesy things to you when we get back home because if I carry on like this, the others are going to think I've lost my mind!"

"Aww," I mock, with a pout, "your bad boy reputation will be ruined!" I roll my eyes. "Suck it up, Evans. You're in a real relationship now and you're gonna have to deal with the fact that our friends will probably teases us mercilessly when we tell them."

"I know," he agrees, "doesn't mean I have to like it, though."

"Wait. On second thoughts, maybe we shouldn't tell _everybody_."

His brow furrows. "What do you mean?"

"Well, how do you think my mother is going to react when she finds out we're in a relationship? The fact that she let us travel the length of the country together; _alone_," I stress. "And that we've been sharing a room for the past month, is not going to go down well."

"Oh shit!" he exclaims, running a hand through his hair and sitting back on the bed. "I didn't think of that."

"We'll be lucky if we ever get any time to ourselves before college," I say regretfully.

Max looks lost for a moment, but then a determined look, along with a sly smile, appears on his face. "Well, then, I'm just going to have to make the most of these last few days with you then, aren't I?"

"Yeah, I guess you are," I virtually purr as I lean in for another kiss, before we tuck into our fast food dinner.

* * *

"Isn't this place cool?"

"It's certainly different," I say, gazing around the former home of Elvis Presley. There are several themed rooms and an entire section dedicated to his music with every award he ever won. Outside, there are marble gravestones, covered with flowers; one for each member of the family that has died.

After we finish viewing the house, the tour takes us over to Elvis' private jet and then to the car museum, which has all of the vehicles that he owned on display. The whole experience of Graceland is pretty cool, but kind of strange at the same time.

We leave Graceland and make our way down towards the Mississippi river. Max spots an advertisement for Steamboat Tours on the river and insists on paying for us to go on one of them.

"This is nice," I comment as the steamboat passes under a bridge that marks the state line between Arkansas and Tennessee.

"It is, isn't it?" he agrees from his seat beside me. We are lounging in white chairs on the upper deck, with our feet propped up on another chair in front of us. It's too hot and humid to sit in the sun, but luckily, we've found a spot to relax under the canopy.

"Max?"

"Hmm?"

"Tell me a secret."

"What?" he smiles.

"Tell me a secret," I repeat. "Something you've never told anyone before."

"A secret, huh?" he muses. "What, like you want me to tell you how I've been secretly pining for you since the day we met?"

"Have you?"

"Well, um – "

"Don't worry, Max, you don't have to answer that."

"Okay, so something I've never told anyone…you do remember that you know practically everything about me?" he says, but manages to think of something anyway. "Right, here we go…promise you won't laugh?"

I nod. "I promise."

"I, um…I once questioned my sexuality."

Huh.

Well, at least I manage to suppress the giggle that threatens to spill from my lips as he turns bright red.

"You what?!" I'm shocked. See, Max is known around Roswell for being a guy's guy; and he's dated some of the most pretty and popular girls in school. I can't imagine him being anything else but heterosexual.

"It was when I was about fourteen and had a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Tom Cruise movies. He was basically my idol. I wanted to be like him so much and I really wanted to meet him. It got to the point that I had no idea if I simply admired the guy or if it was something more. I was so freaked out that I refused to let Michael sleep over for a whole month. My parents thought we'd had a fight or something!"

Despite the seriousness of the topic of conversation, I can't help but chuckle at that last part.

"So, what made you realise that you weren't, you know, gay or anything?"

He turns to me in all seriousness, but with a twinkle in his eye. "Nothing, didn't you know? I'm bisexual."

"You are so not, Max Evans!" I shove him playfully. "Quit playing around."

"You're right, I'm not," he admits, but then frowns. "But, if I were, you wouldn't think differently of me, would you?"

"Of course not, Max. You're one of the most important people in my life. I don't think I could."

He flashes me a smile. "Thanks. Well, anyway, eventually I managed to pluck up my courage to talk to my mom about my worries and she told me that it was perfectly normal to be confused. Then she asked me if I'd ever felt anything other than friendship for any of the guys I knew, and that's when I realised that I wasn't gay. See, I knew that I found girls attractive I had never thought of any other guys in that way before."

"I suppose that must have been a relief," I say.

"Yeah, it was. My mom said that even if I was, she and Dad would still love me and support my decisions, but it was still good to know that I fancied girls and not guys," he admits. "So, anyway, that's my secret; now you have to tell me one of yours," he grins.

"Yeah, I guess I do, but you won't be hearing it today," I tell him smugly and he looks offended. "A girl's gotta have some mystery, you know." I lean in close to him and whisper, "But I promise you'll get to hear a secret from me before we get back to Roswell. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to visit the bathroom."

I get up off the chair and saunter off down the steps to the lower level, leaving Max to stare after me in both annoyance and disbelief.

_TBC…_


	15. Chapter 15

**Part Fifteen**

_Day 36 – Monday July 28th 2002_

_We only spent half of our day in Memphis yesterday before moving on into Arkansas after lunch. Little Rock is only 2 hours from Memphis along the I-40, so we stopped off there for the afternoon. We took in the sights of the State Capitol, where Bill Clinton was Governor of Arkansas before he became President and the Children's Museum. We also took a slight detour of about 30 minutes from the city to visit the 'Old Mill', which is a small public garden area with a old-style watermill and a pond/stream with faux wooden bridges. Apparently, the mill was used in one of the beginning scenes of Gone With The Wind; although I've never actually seen the film, so I couldn't tell you for sure. _

_Anyway, I'm feeling really great today! My period is almost over and Max is just being the perfect boyfriend right now. Well actually, I think he's only being his normal self and it's just that, in my eyes, it seems he can do no wrong today. Like when we were walking around the paths by the Old Mill, he slung his arm over my shoulder and held me close to him the whole time. He kept pressing kisses against my hair and whispering things in my ear that made me blush, but also made me want to jump him right there! When he reached the bridge across the water, he insisted on getting these two old ladies to take a picture of us with our arms around each other and then, when they were gone, he picked me up and carried me piggyback style all the way back to the jeep. On top of all that, he even asked me if I wanted to drive – without me having to ask him first. _

_I wonder, what's gotten into him today? Even now, while I'm writing this journal entry, he's at the other end of the bed, massaging my feet!_

_Wait a minute…_

_I know what's going on. See, yesterday, I made him tell me a secret; something he'd never told anyone before and I promised to tell him a secret of mine too, except I made him wait and said I wouldn't tell him just yet. _

_So, now he's buttering me up in hopes of finding out one of my dirty little secret. Not that I have any, of course. Honest!_

_Hmm, I think I'm going to have to call him on it._

_I'll be back later…_

"Mmm, that feels good," I murmur to Max, as I close the journal and let it slide onto the bedcovers next to me.

"You like that?" he smiles, running his thumbs along the undersides of my feet and I shudder at the sensation. Did I mention that I have sensitive feet – very ticklish, as Max found out a few minutes ago – and now the feel of his hands on them is sending tingles all through my body.

"Uh huh," I reply. "So, what's all this in aid of?"

"All what?" he asks, puzzled.

"The pampering," I nod to his hands, "the piggyback ride at the Old Mill this afternoon, letting me drive the jeep before I even asked?"

He looks down, suddenly very interested in studying my feet and I have to bite my lip in amusement. Of course, I already know exactly what this is all in aid of.

"Um, no – no reason," he finally stutters. "Just wanted to show you how much I love you."

"Yeah?" I cross my arms over my chest.

He looks up at me. "Yeah," he confirms, but I don't know whom he's trying to convince; me or himself?

"Come on, just spit it out, Evans."

"Spit what out?" he asks innocently, his hand stilling on my foot.

I raise an eyebrow at him and he caves.

Honestly, I didn't think it would be this easy, but I can't say I don't like having this power over him.

"Fine, you got me. I wanna know your secret." He pouts and I just can't resist him.

"You do, huh?" I grin, an idea forming in my head. "How much?"

"What?"

"How much?" I repeat.

"Liz, come on. I told you mine – with hardly any persuasion, if you remember!"

"Yeah, you're right," I agree. "How come you didn't fight me on it, anyway?"

He gives me an almost incredulous look, "Liz, I told you because I thought the whole point was to share more of ourselves with each other; and now you're refusing to cooperate! I just don't understand how your brain is working right now."

"You're right, I'm sorry," I concede. "I was going to tell you anyway; I just thought we could have some fun first." I wiggle my eyebrows at him. He chuckles and leans up over me, kissing my lips quickly.

"You are so cute," he grins and I blush. I'm not used to compliments like that – Kyle never really told me that I was beautiful, or even cute for that matter, when we were going out. Sure, people have told me I'm pretty before, but it was usually my grandmother or my mom saying it and they don't really count. I mean, they're my family; they kind of have to think that. But, anyway, I'm kind of getting off track here.

"So, you wanna have some fun, huh?" Max says, interrupting my musings. His grin turns sly. "How's this for fun?"

He doesn't give me a chance to respond, because his lips are glued to mine once again, his tongue begging entrance to my mouth and his hands are beneath me, pulling me down to the bed as he slides my body underneath him. I can do nothing but cling to his shoulders as he continues his ministrations. I can't help the shudder that runs through my body as he settles over me; his torso pressing against my chest, his strong thighs on mine, his arousal evident and pressing against me. I almost blush again at the feel of it, despite the fact that I've already gone down on him before. But my embarrassment disappears as he shifts against me, my legs parting to accommodate his hips. He deepens the kiss and I gasp into his mouth as his erection rubs against my clit.

I slide my arms up from his shoulders and wrap them around his neck; I moan as his hands move down to cup my butt, pulling me closer to him.

"Max…" I sigh, my head spinning; but as quickly as his assault on my senses began, it stops and he pulls away. "What?"

But he just smirks at me and moves to support himself on his lower arms. "Was that fun enough for you?"

My mouth falls open in amazement. "Bastard!" I exclaim, but it doesn't come out quiet as outraged as I'd intended. In fact, it's kind of mischievous. Damn him!

The smirk remains as he lowers his mouth to my ear and whispers, "So, do I get to hear a secret now?"

He's so close to me that I can't help nuzzling his neck before I whisper a reply in his ear. "Only if you promise to finish what we just started at some point in the near future."

He pulls back, looking a little surprised, "Some point in the near future? What, you don't want to continue now?"

"Well, in case you've forgotten, I'm still on my period," I remind him.

"Oh, right. Okay," he nods quickly and shifts to lie beside me on the bed, propping himself up on his elbow. "So…this secret of yours, do I get to hear it now?"

"Well," I start, unsure how to continue. Truth is, I have no idea what secret I'm going to tell him. I haven't really thought that far ahead yet. I rack my brains for something that has happened to me that I've told no one about; which is hard because between Max and Maria, I've hardly got any proper secrets left. And considering the subject of the secret he told me, I don't think I have any that significant.

Although, come to think of it, I probably have some pretty embarrassing ones. I rack my brain for the most embarrassing that has ever happened to me; which is proving hard because my mind seems to have gone blank.

Wait, I've got it; although I can't believe I forgot it happened. And I also can't believe that I'm about to tell Max about it either (Yes, it's _that_ embarrassing it's probably not the kind of thing you bring up in civilised conversation); but here goes.

"Well?" I turn my head to find Max watching me expectantly.

"Okay," I shift onto my side so that I'm facing him, supporting my head on my hand. I lean forward to whisper, "This is really embarrassing…"

"Go on," he encourages, his eyes lighting up in, what I can only imagine, is anticipation of what I'm going to say.

"You remember when we had Sex Ed in Seventh Grade?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, afterwards, I was curious about some things and one day I found this book hidden away in our attic. It had all these diagrams and pictures and a lot of information in it, and so I decided to sneak it into my room and read it when my parents were asleep," I confess and Max raises an eyebrow. "Except, one night, it turned out my parents had stayed up late to watch a TV movie and before they turned in for the night, they decided to check on me."

"And…?" Max is grinning now; I think he suspects what happened next.

"And, well…let's just say, I was doing a little more than just reading the book when they walked in," I say in a rush, before burying my head in Max's chest in embarrassment.

"You were…? Oh my God, Liz!" he exclaims, pushing my away from him so he can look at me. "Please don't tell me you were – "

"No!" I shake my head vehemently. "No, Max. I wasn't doing _that_. But I wasn't exactly fully clothed either," I admit. "I was just kind of checking things out..."

"Right," he swallows. "Well…so, um what did you do?"

"What could I do? It was the most embarrassing moment of my life! My dad just kind of stood there for a moment at a complete loss for words, before hightailing it out of the room, and my mom just gave me this weird look, before telling me that in the morning, we were going to sit down and have a little talk." I hide my burning face in my hand as I await his reaction.

"And how did that go?" he asks, reaching for my hand and pulling it away from my face.

Oh God, he sounds amused; this is so not funny!

"You know what? I don't think I can face talking about it," I tell him, unable to look him in the eye.

His free arm comes around me and he holds me to him. Placing a soft kiss against my hair, he murmurs, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna make you relive all the gory details." I nod my head against him in thanks. "But I can't believe that happened to you! And here I thought you were a good girl," he teases.

"Hmmph," is all I can manage about now.

"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he murmurs again.

"Ma-ax…" I whine. Now _he's_ embarrassing me.

His arm loosens around me and his hand comes up to cup the back of my neck.

"I love it," he whispers, before leaning in and planting the sweetest kiss on my lips.

Almost all of my humiliation over my story drains away at the feel of his breath against mine and I can't help scooting even closer to him and kissing him back. After some fairly heavy making out and an enormous amount effort from each of us to stop, we curl up together under the covers and watch a movie until we're too tired to stay awake; which is actually only at about 10.30pm, but we do have to drive across pretty much the whole of Texas in the morning, so I guess it's not too bad, considering.

* * *

_Day 38 – Wednesday July 30th 2002_

_Okay, so my knowledge of geography leaves much to be desired. It turns out that the I-40 barely goes through Texas at all! In fact, we spent the majority of the last day driving through Oklahoma, only entering the north of Texas a couple of hundred miles before we reached the New Mexico border. It's funny how you just have this view in your mind of what the world looks like and it turns out that you were completely off base – like I've always had this idea that San Francisco is really far north, like up near Seattle, but it turns out it's barely halfway to Canada!_

_So, we're back in Albuquerque now. Luckily, I've now gotten over my embarrassment about the secret I told Max and in turn, he hasn't brought it up again. It's cool though; we now know something new about each other that we didn't know before, and it's not like we ever bring up any of the things we already knew, so there's no reason to bring these things up in conversation again. Anyway, we've decided to spend one last night on the road before driving back down to Roswell tomorrow; one last night before we have to go back to living in different houses, with half a town separating us._

_Okay, no more time to contemplate the thought of being without Max; I have to go now because he is getting impatient for me to finish writing and I'd rather not spend our last night together, with him in a bad mood…_

Our last evening out is great. Max takes me to Applebee's for dinner (although I insist on paying half) and then we take a moonlit stroll through the UNM campus. We walk arm-in-arm around the campus, but as we walk down the steps into the student union, until I decide that simply touching arms is not enough. Under the pretence of pointing something out to Max, I don't return my hand to its previous position, but instead I slip my arm behind him, around his waist and sneak my fingers into his back pocket. Although he seems surprised at my obviously unexpected action, he doesn't say anything, but just turns his head and smiles down at me, wrapping his own arm around my waist and pulling me closer to him.

See, if you hadn't already guessed, I'm feeling…how can I put this delicately? Oh, hell I can't…I'm feeling up for it tonight. My period finally finished this morning and now I'm really in the mood to make this last night special for both of us. I can't help squeezing Max's butt lightly with my fingers as I think about what might happen tonight. I also can't help grinning when he starts slightly as my fingers dig into his flesh.

"Liz!" he cries. "What are you doing? We're in public!"

I lean up to his ear and whisper sultrily (or as least, I hope it's sultry), "Just a little preview for later."

I watch as his eyes widen slightly and then suddenly he blurts out, "A movie!"

"What?" Now I'm confused.

"Look, the student cinema is showing a movie tonight. Why don't we check it out?" He nods towards the UNM movie theatre in the corner of the building. I look at my watch; it's still early. There'll be plenty of time for some fun in our room later, so why not?

"Sure, okay," I agree, still slightly puzzled by his actions.

He practically drags me across the floor and then quickly buys two tickets when we reach the box office window.

The movie is a small, independent film that I have never heard of, but Max seems to want to watch it, so I follow him into the cinema.

* * *

Two hours later, we emerge from the UNM student union. I have to admit that the film was pretty good, although I'm eager to get back to the motel already.

Max seems quiet as we walk hand-in-hand back to the jeep. I wonder what's going through his mind right now. Maybe he's just excited about tonight. I can't wait to finally share this experience with him. I didn't tell him this, but earlier when we stopped for gas; I slipped into a convenience store and bought some condoms. Although I'm already on the pill (for medical reasons, of course), you can never be too careful.

We make small talk on the way back, but as we get closer to the motel, I start to get a little nervous; I mean, this is Max. I'm going to be making love with my best friend! Now that I think about it, the whole thing seems kind of surreal. Two months ago, I would never have imagined that this is how our big 'end of high school' trip would culminate.

I can't say I'm not happy about it, though. Ecstatic, actually. I haven't mentioned this to Max yet, because he is a guy and in general, guys seem to be eternally afraid of commitment; but the last few nights, as Max was lying asleep next to me, I've allowed my mind to wander to the possibilities of the future. Sometimes I'll imagine our wedding day, or I'll think of the two of us living together in a family home with two young kids (a boy and a girl) running round happily.

You know, I've never really thought of myself as a broody type of person, but recently I've been imagining what our kids would look like. I'd love for them to have Max's eyes (and those gorgeous eyelashes, of course), but definitely my ears. Not that Max's ears are not totally cute (on him, anyway), but I wouldn't wish them on anyone else. God, does that make me a horrible person? I hope not. Actually, I love Max's ears, but I'll never tell him that; his ears have been the subject of our good-natured teasing since we were kids. I can't suddenly take back ten years of mocking them – it would change the whole dynamic of our relationship!

"So, here we are." Max's voice brings me out of my thoughts and I realise that we are outside the motel and that he has turned the engine off.

"That we are," I agree.

Why is it that I've been waiting for this night for the last couple of weeks, but now that it's finally here, I'm all nervous.

"Well, let's go in then," he says and I nod, getting out of the jeep.

We walk up to the door together and I wait almost impatiently as Max fumbles with the key. Maybe he's nervous too. I'll just wait to get inside; maybe then this suddenly strange atmosphere between us will disappear and we can go back to being playful again.

As we enter the room, I take a deep breath and pluck up all my courage. Pushing my sudden nervousness to the back of my mind, I close the door behind us and walk over to Max, sliding my arms around his waist. I look into his eyes, giving him a soft smile and then I lean up to kiss him.

He seems a little hesitant at first, but after a couple of seconds, I feel his hands move up, one resting on my upper back and the other at the base of my neck, beneath my hair. His fingers start to gently massage my skin and all my reservations fade as I lose myself in the kiss. This is where I've always wanted to be (whether subconsciously or not) and I'm going to make the most of it while I can.

"Lizzie," he whispers between kisses and I can feel my insides melt at his tone. How does he always manage to make me feel special? Even when we were just friends, I always felt like I was the centre of his attention whenever we did stuff together. Maybe that's just how he is.

I can't help moaning into his mouth as our tongues tangle together; and slowly, I walk him back towards the bed. The backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed, and unwilling to stop, remove my hands from around his waist and push him down onto the bed. Straddling his hips, I wind my fingers through his hair as we sit on the edge of the bed, kissing and holding each other close, and I enjoy the feel of being in his arms for a few moments.

We sink down to the mattress and I stretch out over Max, basking in the feel of his warm body against mine. Tenderly, I place soft, feather-like kisses along his jaw and down to his neck. I feel him shiver against me and watch with half-lidded eyes as his head falls back against the bed. His hands move down over the length of my spine and come to rest at the small of my back. His fingers find their way under my top and I can't help letting out a small gasp as they come into contact with my warm skin.

I inch my way down to his collarbone, my hands skimming over the soft material of his t-shirt and then underneath it to caress his bare flesh. Barely a second later, the shirt is on the floor, followed by mine shortly after. I feel a little awkward since this is the first time Max has seen me in just my bra (swimwear doesn't count in my book), but I quickly push those thoughts aside and occupy myself with unbuckling his belt and unzipping his jeans. Max's hands make sweeping movements up and down the length of my back as I pepper his chest with kisses, paying close attention to his now erect nipples; but the moment I get his jeans undone and slip my hand into his boxers, he pushes me away.

"No. Liz, stop," he mutters and moves his hands to my shoulders.

Confused, I stop what I'm doing and extract my hand from his trousers. "What? What's wrong, Max?" I ask, rising up on my elbows so that I can see his face.

He closes his eyes and for a moment, I get worried, but then a whisper of a smile appears on his lips and he replies. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong…exactly."

He opens his eyes and then urges me to sit up. Grabbing our shirts from the floor, he hands mine to me and pulls his own over his head. Confused, I do the same.

"Max?" I wonder.

He looks at me, an apologetic expression on his face. "Look, I'm sorry; I don't want to spoil the evening, but I just don't think we should go any further tonight."

"Why not?" I ask, more intrigued than anything else.

He smiles, reaching a hand out to tuck my hair behind my ear. "Liz, I want this, I really do; but I also want our first time to be special. I know that we love each other, but I just think maybe we should wait," he tells me.

"But, why?" I question softly, not annoyed exactly, but puzzled at his sudden change of mind.

He takes a breath. "Okay," he exhales. "Here's the thing. These past few weeks with you have been wonderful – the best of my life – but that's not real, Liz. Tomorrow, we're gonna have to go back to real life and we're going to have to adjust to that – "

"But, surely that's all the more reason to make tonight special," I counter.

"That's not exactly what I mean, Liz. My point is that I want to be able to make love to you in real life, not in this artificial life we've been living the past few weeks. I want us to go on proper dates, where I pick you up from the Crashdown and get grilled by your father." He makes a face at this and I smile. "I want us to be sure of our relationship in our normal environment, with our friends and family around us. I want to be able to make love to you with the knowledge that what we have isn't just a summer thing and that we can make it work in the future."

As disappointed as I am that Max doesn't want to be intimate with me tonight, I have to admit that he does have a point. He's not telling me that he doesn't want to sleep with me; he's saying that he would feel more comfortable if we integrated what we already have, into our real lives first. I understand, I really do. I may not be a virgin, but he is and I want him to be completely comfortable in taking that next step.

"Max, it's okay, I understand," I reassure him, reaching up to stroke his cheek with the palm of my hand. "If you want to wait, we'll wait. That's fine with me."

His warm fingers cover mine on his cheek. "Thanks, Liz. I appreciate that you are willing to wait for me. It's not that I'm not ready, it's just that I want us to take that step with completely level heads, with other people knowing that we're together and accepting it."

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Max," I tell him. "I respect your decision, so don't worry about it, okay?"

"Thank you," he repeats and pulls me into a quick hug.

We lie down together, facing each other, not saying anything, but just savouring the last night that we'll be spending together in a while. Eventually, we decide we'd better get ready for bed, but this time, instead of washing up separately, we stand side-by-side at the sink, brushing our teeth and washing our faces. I like it; it gives me a glimpse of what life might be like if we ever get married or live together for real.

We fall asleep in each other's arms, our legs entwined and our upper bodies pressed together. I don't think I'll ever get tired of having Max's strong arms wrapped around me, his fingers caressing my skin.

As my eyes drift shut and I lose my battle with consciousness, I tighten my arms around Max and savour these last few hours alone with him.

_TBC…_


	16. Chapter 16

**Part Sixteen**

_Day 39 – Thursday July 31st 2002_

_Well, we're finally on our way back to Roswell. I can't believe this trip is really over and that, in less than two hours, we'll be back home with our friends and our parents. We haven't told anyone except our parents, exactly when we'll be back, because we don't want to arrive home tired and cranky from travelling, only to find a huge, loud welcome party waiting for us._

_You know, in a way, I'm actually kind of glad to be going home. It'll be nice to eat home-cooked food again and catch up with Maria and the rest of the gang on all the Roswell gossip. But I already know that I'm going to miss Max like crazy. There's no way we'll be able to spend as much time with each other as we have done over the last month and a half. For a start, we both have to go back to work: me at the Crashdown and him at he UFO Centre; and since we don't know how everyone's going to react to the news that we're more than just friends now, who knows how often we'll get to be alone?_

_Shit, maybe I shouldn't have been so understanding of Max's feelings last night and instead, persuaded him that it _was_ the right time for us to sleep together! We may not get a chance to do anything at all once we're back living under our parent's roofs. _

_Or actually…maybe it could be fun! We could pretend we're not together and then sneak around in private for a laugh. No, wait…scratch that, there's no way I'll be able to be around Max and not touch him in a way that would be deemed inappropriate for best friends to act around each other._

_I mean, just look at him…_

I can't help it; the moment I look over at Max, my hand ceases it's movement and I lose all concentration and my hand just rests, unmoving; poised above the page of my journal.

"What?" His voice startles me: I'm _that_ engrossed in my staring; but I can't prevent the happy lurch that my stomach gives, or the grin that spreads across my face at the sound of his smooth, deep tones.

"Nothing," I reply somewhat coyly, shaking my head as I bite my lip, to control my smile.

"Okay," he smiles, his eyes still on the road ahead, but I can tell he doesn't believe me.

My suspicions are confirmed when, barely a moment later, his hand leaves the steering wheel and slides onto my thigh, squeezing it lightly as he continues to drive down the I-25 towards home. I take in a breath, closing my eyes briefly at the feeling his warm hand on my leg invokes in me. I close the journal and shove it, along with my pen, into my backpack. Max's hand doesn't move from my thigh and when I straighten up again, I cover it with mine, squeezing his fingers in response to his gesture. His smile widens and he turns his hand over beneath mine, linking our fingers together in my lap.

I look down at our entwined hands and then back up to his face, admiring his profile. I love how he looks so relaxed as he's driving, the warm breeze gently ruffling the tendrils of dark hair that fall over his forehead and the smile on his face that, I suddenly realise, is there because of me. Overcome with an unexpected rush of warmth and love towards him, I lift his hand, still clasped in mine, to my lips and place a gentle kiss on his knuckles.

I watch as his face lights up and at his reaction, I can't help myself; I lean across the seat and start to nuzzle the underside of his jaw, placing kisses against his stubble-roughened skin – he didn't have time to shave this morning.

"Liz…?"

"Yeah?" I mumble against his skin.

"Stop it, I'm driving!"

"No, don't want to," I pout.

"Liz, come on!" he practically pleads. "You're distracting me."

"So?" I can't help it; I know he's trying to concentrate, but I just can't seem to keep my hands, or my lips for that matter, to myself. I move to the sensitive spot below his ear, licking it naughtily and I grin to myself as he squirms.

"Liz!!"

Uh oh, he's annoyed now.

"Okay! Okay, I'll stop!" I reluctantly move back over to my side of the jeep. "Geez, you're no fun today!" I huff.

"Yeah, well, if _someone _hadn't kept me up half the night…"

Oh yeah, I didn't mention that part, did I? We were both awake in the early hours of this morning, unable to sleep and although we decided to wait on the 'making love' part of our relationship, we were both feeling kinda…playful…and it ended up getting pretty hot and heavy. Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep after that.

"Hey, you enjoyed it as much as I did, so don't complain," I retort, sticking my tongue out at him.

"Fine, I give," he relents. "It was pretty good, wasn't it?" he adds a few seconds later.

"Yeah, it was," I grin at the memory. "Go on, then, you concentrate on your driving again. I'll be good."

"Thank you," he says, glancing at me quickly and squeezing his hand around mine briefly before turning back to the road.

* * *

We arrive back in Roswell an hour and a half later. About twenty minutes ago, I persuaded Max to pull off the road by Vasquez rocks just outside of town so that we could get a much-needed make-out session out of the way while we still had some privacy. We still haven't decided exactly what to tell everyone about us, so who knows when we're gonna be able to do it again.

"So, here we are," sighs Max, as we pull up outside the Crashdown. He turns off the engine and turns to me. "I guess this is it; the end of the summer of our lives."

"Yeah," I exhale a little sadly. "It really was though, wasn't it? The summer of our lives?"

"Well, it was definitely the best five-and-a-half weeks of _my_ life," he smiles.

"Yeah, mine too," I grin and watch in fascination as he leans towards me. I tilt my head up in anticipation of feeling his warm, soft lips on mine, when suddenly he turns to the side slightly and places a chaste kiss on my cheek. I pull back, confused and ready to question his actions, when he whispers to me.

"I just saw your parents inside. They haven't noticed us yet, but we'd better not give them reason to be suspicious just yet." He clears his throat and straightens up in his seat, "So, let's get your bags and let them know we're back, safe and sound, shall we?"

"Alright," I reply and Max hops out of the jeep to fetch my things. With a small, slightly reluctant sigh, I climb out of my seat and pick up my backpack and a few other things, bracing myself for everyone's reaction to us finally being home.

A moment later, Max joins me at the side of the vehicle and we make our way towards the front of the Crashdown and my home. Just before we pull open the door, Max discretely takes my hand and squeezes it reassuringly and although he doesn't look at me, he has this adorable smile on his face.

Taking a deep breath, I let go of his hand and pull the door open. The small bell above the entrance jingles as we enter the café, but it's pretty busy for a Thursday afternoon and no one notices right away. A quick glance around the room shows that my parents are discussing something by the coffee machine, Michael is working behind the grill and Maria is taking orders at the booths. Looks like we're gonna kill two…well, actually several birds…with one stone this afternoon, with everyone here.

"Oh my God!" Maria is the first one to notice us at the door. "Mr. P, Mrs. P, they're back! Max and Liz are back!"

Their heads snap up simultaneously.

"Liz – "

"Lizzie!"

"Honey, you're back! We weren't expecting you home so soon!" exclaims my mother as she rushes across the restaurant and envelops me in a tight hug.

"Hey, Mom." I hug her back. "Hi, Dad," I greet him after Mom lets go of me and suddenly I'm engulfed in an even bigger embrace from him.

"Hi, Max," my mom smiles as my dad and I are hugging.

"Mrs. Parker," he nods, sounding almost nervous.

"Thanks for taking care of my baby girl these past few weeks," she sniffs. Oh, God, she's getting all sentimental now. I pull away from my dad, turning to face them.

"Oh, it was no problem," Max replies, glancing quickly at me. "We had a great time, didn't we, Lizzie?"

"We sure did," I grin. "I'll tell you guys all about it when I'm done unpacking."

"Lizzie!" Maria's voice suddenly interrupts our little reunion. "I can't believe you're finally back, girlfriend!" she cries, flinging herself at me happily.

"Hey, Maria," I manage as she practically suffocates me. "Hi, Michael," I greet him over Maria's shoulder as he approaches us from the back.

"Liz," he nods with a small smile. "Maxwell."

"Mike." Geez, what is it with guys and one-word sentences?

"Glad you're back," he tells us, in typical Michael style, moving past me to give Max a 'manly' hug and pat on the back in greeting.

"You look so great!" exclaims Maria, pulling back and holding me at arms length as she studies my appearance. "You have to tell me everything! Where you went, what you bought, what you ate; everything!"

"Whoa, slow down," I cry, "let me get unpacked and settled first, and then we'll tell you all about it."

"We?" she queries. "Max, you'll be coming along to our bonding session later, too?"

"Sure, why not," he shrugs, sending a grin my way. "After all, it was my trip too."

He catches my eye and I grin back at him.

"So, I'll just take all this stuff up to your room," he says and bends down to pick up my bags.

"I'll help you, Max," insists my mother; she grabs the stuff I dropped on the floor when we came in and nods for Max to follow her out the back.

"Thanks, guys," I tell them, watching as they head to the back door. Max turns back and shoots me one last smile before he disappears upstairs; it makes me feel all warm inside.

"Okay, Liz," Maria starts as she grabs my arm and leads me over to the counter, "so, what's going on with you and lover boy over there?"

My eyes widen. Shit! Back five minutes and we're caught already!

"Maria! What are you talking about?"

"You and Max; something's different between you two."

"I don't know what you mean," I deny, but I know she's not buying it.

"You may not want to tell me now, Liz; but believe me, I'll get the truth out of you sooner or later," she warns, before moving to the order window to pick up her customer's order.

I observe her as her flits expertly between the tables.

Crap!

I think I'm going to need to talk with Max about exactly what we're going to tell everyone about our relationship.

Otherwise, this could get messy.

* * *

As soon as I'm sure that Maria is no longer paying any attention to what I'm doing, I sneak out the back door and up the stairs to my apartment. As I approach my bedroom, I notice that the door is open. I can hear Max and my mom talking inside. Unable to help myself, I stop just before the doorway and eavesdrop on their conversation. I know it's wrong and I shouldn't do it; I've never listened in on their conversations before, but this time its different. Now Max is talking to my mom as more than my childhood best friend. He's speaking to her as my boyfriend (I know what you're thinking, but the fact that she doesn't know that yet is irrelevant here, alright?).

"So, I take it you two had a great time then, Max?" my mom questions casually.

"Yeah, we really did," he replies, his smile evident in his voice. "And we got to see so much more of the country than I ever thought we would."

"So, Lizzie didn't drive you completely round the bend with her crazy ideas, I take it?"

Oh, Mom…please don't go there!

"Not at all," he replies, but there's something else in his voice, something that tells me he's trying not to laugh.

Bastard!

"Uh huh?" she doesn't sound convinced either.

"Honest, Mrs. P," he claims with a small laugh and I roll my eyes "I mean it; Liz was great company. I can't imagine anyone better to spend my summer vacation with."

Aww…He's so sweet.

"Well, I'm glad you both had a good time. You know, Jeff and I were a little worried about the two of you going away together on your own, especially considering that she's a girl and you're a boy. You know, my only saving grace was knowing that you would be safe and sound in separate bedrooms – "

Shit! Quick, think of something fast so that Max doesn't have a chance to put his foot in it.

I creep backwards a little way and then make a suitable amount on noise to indicate that I'm just entering the apartment.

"Hey, Mom, Max," I nod to them, leaning against the doorway. "Thanks for bringing my stuff up. I would have done it myself, but Maria dragged me off to the counter."

"No problem," states Max warmly. "But, I'm not helping you unpack it all, so don't even try," he warns and I stick my tongue out at him when Mom's not looking.

"Would you two like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?" my mom offers.

"Tea would be great, thanks, Mrs P," replies Max.

"Coming right up; Liz, what about you?"

"Oh, nothing for me, thanks, Mom," I say, as I make eye contact with Max and smile.

She leaves the room and my smile becomes a full-fledged grin as I sidle up to Max, leaning up for a kiss.

"Mmm, I missed you," I murmur against his lips.

"Liz," he pulls back, a glint in his eye, "it's only been about 10 minutes sine we last…"

"I know, but I just can't help it. You're so yummy." Max chuckles and pulls me close. Our lips are on the verge of meeting once again, when my mom's voice floats in from the kitchen.

"Max, honey, do you take sugar?"

He sighs and rests his forehead against mine for a moment before lifting his head and calling back, "One, please, Mrs P." He looks down at me again, "Hey, I need to go see my parents. You want to come with me to let them know we're back? I'm sure they'll want to see you, too."

"Sure," I grin. "I'd love to."

"Okay, cool, we'll go right after I've drunk my tea and your mom's grilled us about everything we saw."

I groan. It was almost too close for comfort when my mom started talking about separate bedrooms earlier. And I still need to talk to Max about what we're going to do.

"Max, there's something we need to – "

"Max, your tea's ready."

Damn my mother for interrupting!

I guess I'll just have to tell him about Maria on the way to see his parents.

* * *

"Max?" I question as he starts the engine and pulls the jeep out onto the street.

"Yeah?" he responds, checking over his shoulder for traffic.

"Maria knows." Oops, that was a bit blunt, wasn't it?

He frowns. "Maria knows what?"

"About us," I tell him. "And before you ask, no, I didn't say anything to her; she just guessed."

"Okay. So...?" he trails off.

"So, I didn't tell her anything; but we do need to work out what we're going to say when she asks about it again."

He nods. "What do you want to do?" he asks me then.

"I don't know; I mean I don't want to keep this from everyone, but on the other hand, I'm not sure I'm entirely comfortable with our parents knowing. Especially considering what my mom said earlier – " I stop. Shit, now he's gonna know I was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"Yeah, I know," he chuckles. "I thought I was gonna die right there!"

I'm stunned. He's just completely brushed off my last comment. Maybe he hasn't realised what I'm talking about.

"Huh…"

He glances over at me, but I'm so busy being confused that I don't really pay much attention to it.

"Come on, Liz," he chuckles again. "You don't think I didn't know you were listening outside the door when I was talking to your mom, do you?"

"But I…I didn't mean…how did you know?"

"I don't know, I just always seem to know when you're around…it's like this radar or something; my body just reacts to your presence, I guess."

"Eww, Max! That's disgusting." I screw my nose up at the thought of Max's 'radar' telling him when I'm nearby.

"Disgusting? What?" He looks taken aback for a moment, but then his eyes widen in understanding. "Oh God, Liz; I didn't mean _that_. That would just be weird. I just meant that when you're around, my skin gets all tingly and warm. It's nice."

Oh. Oops.

"Oh," I breathe and then send him an apologetic smile and a shrug, "Sorry."

He just smiles and shakes his head, turning his attention back to the road.

I relax back in my seat as he drives, but barely two minutes later, I realise that we didn't actually decide what to do.

"So, about what we're telling people about us…" I start.

"Yeah?"

"I think maybe we should tell our friends, but not say anything to our parents just yet; especially mine. I hate to think what my mom would say if she found out we _were_ actually sharing a bed."

"Okay, that sounds fair enough," he nods thoughtfully. Then he smirks, "At least that way, I won't have to worry about keeping my hands off you all the time."

"Oh, ha ha," I smack his arm lightly; but I can't help the warmth that floods my cheeks when he says that.

* * *

"Max! Liz! You're back!" exclaims Max's mom, as she opens the front door to us and engulfs us both in a hug.

"Yep, here we are," Max grins, when she finally decides to release us from her grip.

"So, did you two have a great time? Come on in, both of you. I want to hear all about it," she smiles and holds the door open for us to enter the house. "You know, it's been so lonely here for me these past few weeks. Isabel's in California, you've been all over the country and you father's at work all day."

"Aww, I'm sorry, Mom," Max tells her. "If I'd realised I was leaving you all on your own this summer, I would never have gone."

"Nonsense," she waves her hand dismissively as Max drops his bags to the floor and we all take seats in the living room. "I bet you two were off having the time of your lives."

Max turns to me with a soft smile. "Yeah, we were."

"Isabel told me that you got up to San Francisco to see her a couple of weeks ago."

Max is still looking at me and I silently will him not to (his mom is right here), so I answer her instead, "That's right, we did. It was great seeing her. It sounds like she's having a great time up there."

"Yeah, she said the two of you seemed to be having a good time; maybe even more than a good time, in fact," she said with a small smile.

At that, Max's looks at me in panic and then snaps his head back to his mom, as I straighten up in my seat. "What do you mean, Mom?"

"It's okay; Max, Liz, you don't have to hide it from me. I think it's great that you two are together now," she tells us warmly. "You know what? I think it was a long time coming. I'm happy for you."

"B-But…?" Max stutters, his expression one of shock.

"You don't mind, Mrs Evans?" I ask and she shakes her head. "But, how did you know?"

"Better yet, how did _Isabel_ know?" Max cuts in before she can reply.

"Well, you know, a mother can sense these things. I've always known there was something special between the both of you; it was only a matter of time," she tells us. I can feel my face heating up. All this time and we didn't know it ourselves? "As for Isabel; well, I guess you weren't as subtle as you thought, Max," she smiles.

"Oh my God," he groans, leaning back against the couch and running a hand down his face. "You're not gonna tell Dad, are you? Or the Parker's? They don't exactly – "

"Don't worry, Max, your secret's safe with me – for now. But just one thing; you are being careful, aren't you? I know you've just spent a lot of time together and I know how crazy hormones can be when you're young, I just want to make sure – "

"Mom! Please!" Max cries suddenly, making me jump (although, I'm just as embarrassed here). "Look, Liz and I aren't…we haven't…I mean…"

"It's okay, Max, I understand," she stops him before he can say anything else. "Just keep what I said in mind, okay?"

"Okay," we both manage, before Max suddenly grabs my hand and his bags and making a quick excuse to his mom, he pulls me out of there and up to his room.

"Oh. My God," he breathes, as he ushers me into the room and shuts the door, leaning against it heavily. "I can't believe…"

"I know, me neither."

"Well, I guess that's one parent we don't have to worry about," he sighs, pulling me into his arms.

I bury my face in his shirt, my cheeks still flaming from the incident downstairs.

"Oh my God," he mumbles again, this time against my hair. "I can't believe my mother."

_TBC…_


	17. Chapter 17

**Part Seventeen**

_Friday August 15th 2002_

_Well, it's been just over two weeks since we arrived back home in Roswell and I have to say, it's been going pretty well._

_Needless to say, almost everyone was fine with my relationship with Max (I say _almost_ everyone, because we still haven't told my parents yet), and well, okay, that's not saying much considering that basically all of our friends knew except for Michael! _

_The night we got back, we gathered the others – Maria, Michael and Alex – in Michael's apartment and told them that we were together. Maria was the first to react with a hysterical scream and a shout of 'I knew it!'. Michael just looked kind of bewildered, his brow furrowed in confusion, but once he got over the initial shock, he smiled at me (a rare occurrence, I have to say) and clapped Max on the back (in a very masculine way, of course) with a 'way to go!' (I know I should have been offended at this, but honestly, I was more concerned about everyone accepting our relationship than anything else). Alex, though; Alex didn't really say anything, but just gave me a knowing smirk when we announced it and every few minutes after that, he would catch my eye, giving me a meaningful, 'remember what we talked about in San Francisco?' look; which I desperately tried to ignore. Eventually I got him to stop by dragging him into the kitchen and threatening to tell Max exactly what he was doing with his sister (obviously, I left out the part about Max already knowing that Alex and Isabel were sleeping together)._

_So, at the moment, out of our parents, only Diane Evans knows about us; which, in a way, is almost harder than if none of them knew. See, every time Max and I are alone in his room, I just know his mom is keeping her ears and eyes open for anything suspicious going on between us. I've got so paranoid about it; I've even suggested we keep the door open while we're there (I know – crazy)! Luckily, Max won't have any of it, though. Claiming that yes, I am being paranoid and that if she trusted us enough to spend the entire summer together, surely she can trust us for a couple of hours in his room, while she's in the house._

_At least, when Max comes over to mine, my parents don't think anything of us spending time in my room or on the balcony – it's what we've always done in the past when we were nothing more than friends._

_But anyway, the last 2 weeks have been pretty great. Max and I have gone out on dates (although, since we couldn't be honest with my parents, there was no grilling from my dad and we had to be careful not to give the game away) and we've spent as much time together as we can. I have to admit that it was hard having to sleep alone those first couple of nights, but I'm dealing with it (although not very successfully, I might add). _

_But, after all, I'd better get used to not seeing him every day._

_The sad thing is, both UNM and Harvard orientations start next week, which means that I only have 3 more days with Max before I have to fly out to Massachusetts and he moves up to Albuquerque. I'm dreading having to say goodbye to him; I mean, I know we'll be able to talk on the phone and online whenever we want, but it's just not going to be the same without him…_

"Writing in that thing _again_?" comes a half-amused, half-incredulous voice from the doorway and my head snaps up. "I thought that was just for the trip!"

"Oh, ha ha," I retort, but the grin that spreads across my face basically counteracts the annoyed tone I was going for. I snap the journal shut and practically bounce off the bed and over to him.

"Hey, you," I murmur, leaning up for a kiss. Max obliges, his arms coming around me, pressing me against his warm, solid body. "You know, it's a good thing my parents are downstairs this afternoon."

"I know," he mumbles between kisses. "I just saw them in the café."

"Mmm, I could just stay here like this all day," I tell him, as my arms come up around his neck.

"Me too," he agrees against my lips. But then he gives me one last kiss and pulls away.

"Hey, I was enjoying that!" I exclaim indignantly.

"I know," he commiserates, with a twinkle in his eye. "But the thing is, there's somewhere we have to be and we're gonna be late if we don't leave now."

"Ooh, where are we going?" my eyes light up in excitement; we didn't make any plans for today

"I thought we could catch that new movie that you wanted to see and then maybe spend some time out in the desert," he suggests with a smile.

"Really?" I grin; I love going out to the desert with Max, which we've done a few times since we got back. We usually just stretch out on a blanket and gaze up at the stars. It's also pretty much the only time that we get to be alone these days and so we like to make the most of it, if you catch my drift. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

Unfortunately, we don't make it to the movie. In fact, we don't even make it out of the Crashdown.

The reason?

Tess Harding.

Yes, that's right, you heard me; Max's ex-girlfriend. You know, the one who is pregnant and currently claiming that Max is the father.

Which, of course he isn't. I mean; he never even slept with her. But you try getting that into _her_ head!

So, anyway, Max and I were just walking through the café to leave, when in walked Miss Harding. I'm not going to bore you with the details (mainly because I'm really not in the mood to think about it any longer); but needless to say, she started making a scene and eventually Max had to agree to talk with her outside, just to shut her up.

Not wanting to seem like the jealous girlfriend, especially in front of my parents (who don't even know that I _am_ a girlfriend, yet), I had to force myself to stay calm (and inside the building) and help my dad out with restaurant duties, all the while wondering like crazy what was going on out there.

After what felt like an hour (but was probably only about ten minutes), Max came back looking particularly stressed and upset. I asked him what had happened with Tess, but all he told me was that he thought he'd finally gotten through to her, but that he didn't want to talk about it.

So anyway, here we are, alone together in the desert. Having missed the movie, we are more than making up for it now; although as wonderful as it feels to have Max in my arms, I get the feeling that his heart's not really in this. Not that I can blame him, of course. I offered to let him have some time alone and to forget doing anything tonight, but he insisted on coming out to the desert anyway; and now his body is blanketing mine as he presses swift, yet fervent kisses to my lips and face and his voice whispers my name over and over.

"Max," I whisper as soon as I can catch by breath. "Max, stop," I urge, slipping my hands between our bodies and pushing him away slightly.

"What? What's wrong?" he manages, his face flushed and breathing ragged.

"I just…" my eyes roam his face. "I think we should stop." At his puzzled frown, I hastily continue, "I mean, dealing with Tess today obviously upset you. You're distracted, Max. Do you want talk about it?" I ask, reaching up to brush his hair off his forehead, before cupping his cheek with my hand.

"Liz…" he avoids my eyes, rolling to lie on his back beside me. "I'm fine."

"Max," I start, but he holds his hand up to stop me.

"Okay, so maybe I'm not fine, but I'm dealing with it. Tess just said some things this afternoon that were uncalled for and that upset me, but I don't want to bring it up again right now. I just want to forget about it. Please."

I sigh and agree, knowing that I probably _should_ make him talk about it; but at the same time, understanding that he's really not comfortable with it. We lie there on the blanket; not speaking, but just staring up at the dark sky. A few minutes pass before I can't take it any longer, and I reach for his hand, entwining my fingers with his. I feel his fingers squeeze mine and I know he's not angry or upset with me.

I just hope that he hasn't taken whatever Tess said to him to heart. I'd hate for him to feel insecure or troubled over the situation.

I turn my head slightly to look at him. He's staring straight ahead, gazing up at the stars, seemingly unaware of my attention. It's hard to believe that in just a couple of day's time, we'll be heading in different directions. I'll be leaving the state, for God's sake.

I'll be leaving him.

Although, since Roswell only has a small airport, I have to fly over to Boston from the Albuquerque Sunport (no more cross country road trips for _this_ girl just yet!), and we've arranged for me to go up there to say goodbye to Max before I get on the plane (the airport is only a couple of miles from UNM). I'll get to help Max move into his new room in Coronado Hall and spend my last bit of time in New Mexico with him.

I drag my thoughts back to the present and realise that tears are collecting in the corners of my eyes. I chance another quick glance at Max, only to find him staring right back at me.

"Liz? What's the matter?" He uses his free hand to wipe away the few tears that had fallen from my eyes.

I shake my head, but my heart lurches suddenly and I can't prevent my face from screwing up and a sob from escaping my lips.

"Hey," he murmurs pulling me into his arms and cradling my head against his chest.

"I'm sorry," I sniff, my voice coming out all garbled. "It's just…there's only a couple of days left until we leave."

"I know," he soothes, placing a kiss to the top of my head. "I know, Lizzie."

"I'm going to miss you like crazy, Max," I mutter into his chest.

"Me too," he sighs. "Me too."

"But we'll talk, right? On the phone?" I ask, in a pleading tone.

"Of course we will; all the time," he reassures me. "And we can talk online too, whenever you want. I promise."

"I don't want to go," I blurt out suddenly. "I want to stay here, with you."

"Oh, Lizzie," he sighs. "You _have_ to go to Harvard. It's your dream," he tells me firmly. "And there is no way I am letting you give up on your dream for me."

He's right. Of course, he's right.

"Max…" I feel a sudden rush of warmth run through my chest. I don't know what to say. I settle with, "I love you."

"I love you too, Lizzie. Just remember that. No matter how crappy I'm feeling today about what happened with Tess, or how upset I get about things, always know that I love you."

I can only nod at his declaration. Any further words I might have said are now lodged in the back of my throat. I relax against Max's side and enjoy the peacefulness of the desert.

After all, who knows how long it will be before we can spend some time out here again?

* * *

I can't believe this is it.

We're in Albuquerque and I'm helping Max move into his room at UNM. In just a couple of hours, I'm going to have to say goodbye to him and I honestly don't know how I'm going to do it.

"Hey, you okay?" Max's voice sounds behind me and I turn round from my position at the window of his room to see him dropping yet another bag onto the bed he's claimed as his.

The room is pretty big, with white walls and a sink. It is sparsely furnished, with two single beds, two desks and two built-in wardrobes. Max's roommate hasn't arrived yet, so he had first pick of the beds and wardrobes.

"I'm fine," I murmur as I watch him arranging his stuff on the bed. I shake my head quickly to clear it. I've promised myself that I'm not going to cry today.

"Hey, my parents are just bringing up the last of my things. When they get here, I'll finish sorting everything out and then maybe we can go for a walk together or something?"

"Okay," I force a smile, pushing my woeful thoughts aside, "sounds great."

My own parents are around here somewhere, since they drove me (and all my stuff) up from Roswell; but since I agreed to help Max move in, I sent them off to look around for a couple of hours.

I help Max organise his things until his mom and dad arrive. They barely have enough time to place his remaining boxes and bags on the floor, before Max is shoving the stuff alongside the bed and ushering us all out of the room, telling his parents to go have a coffee or something. At first, his dad protests that they should be spending some time together before they leave, but Diane catches my eye and seems to realise that Max and I want to be alone for a while, so she nudges Philip and casually suggests that they go and explore the student union. Luckily, I remember that my parents were planning to take a look around it as well, so I quickly propose that maybe they could meet up for a chat over there.

Thankfully, Philip agrees and once we are all outside the Hall, we say goodbye and they head off in the direction of the SUB.

"Whew, I thought they would never leave," Max exhales beside me.

"Max!" I whack him on the arm. "They're your parents. They're about to go home and leave you here all on your own. You could at least pretend you want them here!"

He rolls his eyes and pulls me into his arms, "Now, why would I want to do that, when this way, I get to spend some more time with you before you go."

My lips curl into a smile at his words. "Well, okay, when you put it like that. But, for the record," I wag a finger at him. "I still think it was rude."

This time, he smiles and captures my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. He places a soft kiss to my fingers and then pouts at me, "Sorry, Lizzie. I won't do it again."

I can see that he's trying to be serious and keep a straight face, but it doesn't work, because a second later, his solemn expression turns into a smirk.

"Yeah, right, Evans. You just keep believing that."

His smirk becomes a cheeky grin and I can't resist planting a kiss against his cheek, entwining my fingers with his.

"Come on, then, you. Let's go for a walk."

* * *

We end up by the Duck Pond again. Almost as soon as we get there, Max takes a seat on the grass and pulls me down with him. I settle between his legs and lean back against his chest. For a few minutes, we just sit there, staring out at the water. I let my mind travel back to Saturday night, when Max took me out for dinner at this gorgeous little Italian restaurant on the outskirts of town. We had a long talk that night, and he finally told me what Tess had said to him.

Apparently, she'd still been under the impression that they'd slept together and that the baby could be his. Max told me that he actually asked her straight out who the father was; who the person she had cheated on him with was, and she had the nerve to flat out deny that there had been anyone else. When Max informed her coolly that he'd never laid a hand on her that night, she accused him of having performance issues and that he was just afraid to admit that he'd been inexperienced in bed.

You know, I really don't understand Tess. One minute, she's insisting that she's pregnant with Max's child and the next she's putting him down and insulting him. Although he denies it, I think that Max was really hurt by what she said. To be honest, I think that she made him feel inadequate and that's why he was so determined to be with me on Friday night.

I sigh as Max's arms tighten around me and his head lowers to nuzzle my neck. The action takes me back to last week, when we sat like this out in the desert one evening. We were so close to making love that night, but for some reason, we both stopped just before it could happen. I think it was because, whether subconsciously or not, neither of us want our first time together to be on a blanket in the middle of the desert, especially Max. I want his first time to be special; he deserves that.

"Max," I whisper, my hand coming up to his head, my fingers burying themselves in his hair. My eyes close at the sensations flowing through my body as his lips dance over my skin.

Unable to contain my feelings any longer, I shift in his arms and capture his lips with mine. Not breaking contact, I turn the rest of the way to face him and rise up to my knees, wrapping my arms around his neck. I smile against his lips at how wonderful this feels right now, locked in my boyfriend's embrace, with the hot sun beating down on us. It's just perfect.

"What the hell?" A loud, angry and familiar voice interrupts us and we abruptly pull away from each other, turning in the direction of the noise.

Oh, shit.

It's my father, standing there with his hands on his hips, glaring furiously at the two of us. Surrounding him, are my mother, and Diane and Philip. All of them except Diane are wearing shocked expressions.

"What exactly is going on here?" demands my father.

Max and I exchange a look of trepidation before turning back to face our parents.

* * *

Well, that was certainly interesting.

So, I guess everyone knows about us now; although I can't say that either of my parents were particularly pleased when they found out that Max and I were seeing each other. My dad got angry with Max, accusing him of trying to take advantage of me while we were on the road, where as my mom was more disappointed that Diane somehow knew about us, but I obviously hadn't felt she was important enough to be told.

We had a pretty intense talk (well, I should really say 'argument') about it, but in the end, I managed to convince them both that this – a relationship with Max – was what I wanted and that they had no right to try to break us up. I explained to them how hard it was going to be for us going to college on opposite sides of the country and that if the two of them were going to object to our relationship, then that would make it so much harder.

It was at that point I realised how glad I was that Max and I hadn't gone all the way yet. At least then, I could be truthful and honest when they asked me if we were sleeping together (they still think I'm a virgin, since there was no way I was going to admit that I'd started having sex when I was 16).

When I finally calmed them down enough to have a civilised conversation, we made our way back over to Max and his parents, who were sitting on the grass by the pond. I have to say that I was surprised at how easily and calmly Mr. Evans accepted our relationship, although something tells me that he wasn't as in the dark as both Max and I had thought (something also tells me that Diane may have already spilled the beans to him).

So, anyway, now we're all at the airport. My plane leaves in an hour or so and Max and I are desperately trying to make our last few minutes together worthwhile. Our parents have respectfully given us a little privacy so we can say our goodbyes before I have to go through to the departure lounge. So, right now, Max is clinging to me for dear life, his face buried in my neck, his strong arms holding me close.

"Don't go, Lizzie. I need you here with me," he murmurs softly and despite the seriousness of the situation, I can't help a small smile forming on my lips. His words are the complete opposite to what he was saying on Friday night.

"I have to, Max. I have to," I whisper, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. "I'm already checked in and everything."

I pull back to stare into his eyes, noting the tears visible there too. "I love you, Max Evans," I declare softly.

"I love you, too, Elizabeth Parker," he returns. I smile through my tears. No one ever calls me Elizabeth, unless it's something serious.

We stand there, just staring at each other for a few moments, before the temptation is too great and I crush my lips against his. His arms tighten around me, his hands roaming my back as we kiss desperately. How am I going to do this? How am I going to survive without him? Without my best friend?

I feel the tears finally spilling down my cheeks and a sob catch in my throat as I hold him to me, my hands buried in his hair. Eventually, Max breaks the kiss, his lips moving urgently over my face and down to my neck. I enfold my arms around his neck and just breathe in his scent as I'm wrapped in his embrace. Several moments later, we pull away and Max just looks at me, his hand coming up to wipe away my tears as I do the same for him.

I take a deep breath to get my emotions under control, before I speak. "So, I guess I'd better go," I say finally.

He just nods resignedly.

"I have to go say goodbye to my parents."

He nods again, but I'm not moving.

"I really should – "

He cuts me off with one last passionate kiss to my lips.

"Go," he whispers against my lips. "Go, before I kidnap you and hold you hostage in my room."

A small giggle escapes my lips and I relish the feel of his arms around me for one more minute, before reluctantly pulling away. Turning away from him, unable to risk another glance in his direction just yet, I walk towards my parents, who are standing several feet away.

"Oh, Lizzie, honey," my mom cries and she enfolds me in her arms. "You really going off to college. I can't believe it; my baby girl, all grown up."

It's Dad's turn next. He hugs me, kisses my forehead and tells me to be careful and responsible at college. There's no mention of Max, other than the meaningful glare he sends in his direction.

I hug my parents once more and say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Evans, who wish me luck. With one last hug and a brief kiss from Max, I force myself to make my way towards the security gates and departure lounge. I told myself I wouldn't, but I can't resist one last glance back at Max just before I disappear round the corner. He's stood there, hands in his pockets looking so incredibly sad and vulnerable that I almost give in and run back to him. But I know I can't, so I gather enough strength as I can and start walking towards my gate, tears dripping down my face.

An hour later, the plane is taxiing down the runway, preparing for takeoff. As we begin to gain speed, I close my eyes and remember every single goodbye I said today; Maria, Alex, Michael, even Kyle (who stood there awkwardly as we all gathered in the Crashdown); Max's parents, Mom, Dad and Max.

I feel the plane lurching upwards as we take off and with a deep breath, I resolve to make the most of the life ahead of me at Harvard; I make a promise, to both myself and to Max, that I'm going to enjoy myself and make friends and not wallow in sadness over being apart from him.

Let's just hope it works.

_TBC…_


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: Sorry this is such a short part, but there's a nice long Epilogue to follow…**

**Part Eighteen**

_Thursday August 22nd 2002_

_I can't believe I've been away from home (and Max) for 3 whole days now! _

_I finally arrived here in Cambridge on Monday evening and since then it's been a whirlwind of unpacking, meeting new people and campus orientations. I've barely had any time to wallow in my misery over not being with Max (which I suppose must be a good thing – it would be awful if I spent this time moping around and feeling sorry for myself instead of getting out there and making friends)._

_When I got to my residence hall, I found that my roommate had already arrived; her name is Becca and she hails from Florida. She's really nice and has been introducing me to all these great new people. I've made a few friends already; in fact, we've already formed a small group – there's Becca and me, our next-door neighbour Katie, and Jack and Tim from down the hall. I've been so busy the past couple of days, getting to know the campus and all the local hotspots with everyone that I've only had the chance to talk to Max once since we said goodbye at the airport._

_Luckily, though, he's settling in well too. His roommate, Steve, turned up at Coronado Hall while he was seeing me off at the airport and Max tells me that they're getting along great, although Steve keeps encouraging him to go out with him to meet hot college girls and he has to keep reminding him that he's not available._

_Crap, I have to go now, Becca's dragging me along to a 'meet and greet' gathering in the student union and she's already halfway out the door and looking at me expectantly…_

_

* * *

_

_Monday September 2nd 2002_

_Classes started last week and I have to say that college is hard work! High school was easy compared to this and it's strange because some of my classes are so big – there are about 200 students in Freshman Biology alone! I'm having a lot of fun though; Becca seems to be quite the party animal and has managed to persuade me to go out with her almost every night since we got here. I've been having loads of fun with the others as well; we've had a couple of' video and popcorn' nights in with the girls from the corridor and if we have a free hour or two, we'll get together with John and Tim for a game of pool in the student union (unfortunately, they usually win – damn those guys!)._

_I have to admit that college life is great and I'm so busy that with socialising and lectures, I haven't had much time to sit in my room and think about Max and what he's doing right now._

_Oh great, now I am wondering what he's doing and it's suddenly making me miss him like crazy. _

_God, now I'm fantasising about receiving one of his breathtaking, hot kisses and having his warm, strong arms wrapped around me…great, I'm gonna start crying any minute now._

_You know, it's a good thing that Becca's out for the day, cos I think I might need some time to myself to wallow right now…_

* * *

_Friday October 4th 2002_

_Well, I've been here a month and a half now and overall,_ _I think it's going okay. It's getting a bit crazy though, because midterms are coming up in the next couple of weeks and everyone's starting to go kinda crazy in preparation for them. I've been studying a fair bit for all my classes anyway, so hopefully I'll be on top of it by the time the exams start._

_From what I've heard, Max is doing pretty well too. He's told me that he's met some great people and that he'd love for me to meet them. I do feel a bit sorry for him though – it sounds like UNM is pretty strict when it comes to co-ed dorms and alcohol on campus. The university is dry, so no drinking is allowed at all – if alcohol is found in your possession, they send you off to substance abuse counselling! Also, Coronado Hall has strictly same-sex corridors, so guys and girls don't really get to mix that much in the dorms. I'm glad that we have both males and females on our floor, though – it kinda evens out the balance!_

_Max and I have been talking about when we'll get to see each other again. We really don't want to have to wait until Christmas vacation to be together again, but it's not going to be easy. Max is hoping that we can meet up over Thanksgiving, but he doesn't have the money to fly out there, so I'm going to try to make it back to New Mexico that weekend to see him. At least that way, I can see my parents and our friends (if they're around) without anyone having to spend any money coming out to visit me on the other side of the country!_

_I've been trying to tell myself that the time will fly by and Thanksgiving will be here before I know it, but every so often this little voice in the back of my head cries out that I have to last until November and suddenly another month and a half months seems like a very long time!_

_Crap, I've been trying so hard to stay upbeat and happy about being here without Max, but some days I can't help thinking about him and wishing that there had been some way to avoid this separation. I'm lucky though, because I have Becca, who's turning out to be a really great friend. Every time she sees me looking upset over Max or just sitting at my desk, staring into space, she'll try to cheer me up and then she'll drag me out with the gang to have some fun. Like tonight, we're all going over to this keg party at one of the Frat houses. I'm not convinced that I'll be in the best mood to go, but Becca's not going to take no for an answer and has told me very specifically, that if I don't get off my butt and go to the party, she will personally pick me up and carry me there; and considering that she's even smaller than I am and can barely lift a heavy suitcase, I'd rather go to the party than be responsible for crushing her to death!_

_Oh no, she's just walked in the door and is looking at me disapprovingly for sitting here alone and writing in here, so really have to go now…_

_

* * *

_

_Sunday November 17th 2002_

_Well, midterms have come and gone and overall, I did pretty well – mostly A's and B+'s (although there was one bad grade in there; Astronomy – I really don't know what happened that day) - which I think is pretty good considering I'm studying at one of the best and most demanding schools in the country. Max's exams went well too and he seems pleased with his grades although, like me, he's found that it's a jump going from high school to college workloads._

_Unfortunately, after all this waiting, I do have some bad news. I'm not going to make it back home to New Mexico for Thanksgiving. Something's come up over that weekend and I have to stay here to get some work done. See, I'm taking an Astronomy lab as part of my course load, and it turns out that the professor has been waiting ages to show us this spectacular event or something in the night sky and it's only supposed to be visible on the Friday and Saturday nights of next week (which surprise, surprise, is Thanksgiving weekend). He wants as many people as possible to attend and he'll give us extra credit if we attend a special additional class on one of those nights._

_Now, normally, I wouldn't even consider cancelling a trip back home to see Max and my family, but it turns out that Astronomy is not my best class right now (the bad midterm grade) and I really need the extra credit if I want to pass the semester. _

_I just have to work out how to break the news to Max – I don't think it's going to go down well at all. I think he said he was going to be really busy this week, so I don't even know if I'll be able to get a hold of him – when I finally pluck up the courage to pick up the phone and dial his number that is…_

_TBC…_


	19. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

_Monday November 25th 2002_

"Max, I'm so sorry. I know how much this meant to you, to us, but I really can't get out of it; not if I don't want to fail the semester." My heart sinks at her words; I've been looking forward to Thanksgiving for so long, but I know I have to be strong.

"I know, Liz; I know. I'm sorry too. It's just frustrating that we can't be together on Thanksgiving. I'll be thinking of you this weekend, and hey, we'll still have Christmas, right?"

"Yeah, we will," she agrees. "God, Max, I'm missing you so much right now." Her voice hitches as she speaks and I just want to wrap her up in my arms and never let go.

"Me too, Lizzie. You know, I keep imagining that you're here with me and we're going to class together and having fun; but then I think about how well you're doing at Harvard and how lucky you are to be there, and I can't feel sad that you're not here because I know that Harvard is where you're meant to be."

Where did that come from? Of course, I want her here with me. In fact, sometimes my heart literally aches for her, but my in reality, my head knows that Cambridge is where she belongs.

"Oh, Max, you're making me cry now!" I can hear her sniffling on the other end. "I love you so much, don't ever forget that."

"Oh, I won't, Lizzie; because I love you that much, too."

God, when did I turn into such a sap? Oh, that's right, it was when I fell in love with my best friend.

"How is it that you always know the right things to say?"

Yeah, that's what I'd like to know too!

I'm saved from answering because she suddenly exclaims, "Oh, shit, I forgot! Max, I have to go; I have an appointment with my Biology professor in less than 10 minutes! I'm sorry, Max."

"That's all right." I force a smile. "I'll talk to you later, then."

"Okay, I'll call you when I get in," she assures me. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

I click off the phone with a sigh, closing my eyes against the sting of tears that I can feel there.

"Man, you are so whipped!" I snap my head up to find that Steve has stopped working and is now smirking at me as he rolls his eyes.

"I am not whipped," I say indignantly. "I'm just…"

"Yeah," he nods with a grin. "You're whipped."

"Fine," I sigh. "I give up. There's no point trying to explain it to you."

"Damn right! You'll never see me getting sappy like that over a woman. I have a reputation to maintain."

"Yeah, I bet you do," I return. "Don't think I don't know what you and your 'flavour of the week' get up to in here when I'm in class or out with the guys."

"Yeah, well. When you've got it, you make the most of it," he preens, nodding his dark-blond head smugly and I suppress the shudder that runs through me.

I suppose now is the best time to tell you that Steve doesn't know about my virginal status. I'd be the butt of his jokes for weeks if he knew. As far as he's aware, Liz and I have a sex life and I've made no moves to correct his assumption.

"Well, I'd better be going. I have class at three and I want to get some stuff done in the computer lab before it starts," I announce suddenly, grabbing my bag off the floor. Actually, that's not quite true. I just had an idea and I want to use the Internet to look something up.

I head for the door, leaving Steve to do whatever he was doing when I was on the phone and make my way down the stairs and outside.

I'm going over my idea in my head when a shrill voice interrupts my line of thought.

"Max! Hey, Max!"

I close my eyes briefly before turning around to face the newcomer.

"Abigail. Hi," I reluctantly greet the skinny blonde, as she hurries to catch up with me.

"Fancy seeing you here," she smiles.

"Yeah, fancy that." What is it with this girl? We both live in this building, for Gods sake.

Steve introduced us the week we moved in (before I'd managed to get it into his head that I was actually already seeing someone) and she's been practically following me around since. No matter how many times I tell her that I'm not interested, she still keeps suggesting that we hook up.

Yeah, right!

"Look," I say, shifting my backpack on my shoulder. Now, she's just standing there watching me expectantly. "I really have to get going. Lots to do, you know."

"Oh, okay; if you have to go…" she trails off, pausing for a moment. "I'll see you around, maybe tonight? Eight o'clock at Saggio's?"

"Yeah, maybe," I say offhandedly, if only to get her off my back. There's no way in hell I'm meeting up with her tonight, or any other night for that matter.

"Okay, great," she replies perkily. Suddenly I feel her hand on my arm and I have to fight the urge to shake it off. Shit, what did I have to go and say that for?

I look down at her hand for a moment, before subtly shaking it off and turning away from her. "I really gotta go now," I mumble quickly. "Bye."

"Bye, Max," she calls sweetly as I begin walking away. My back turned to her; I roll my eyes in exasperation as I get as far away from her as possible.

* * *

The computer lab in the student union is surprisingly quiet for 2.30 on a Monday. I take a seat down at one of the monitors near the back and quickly log on to the Internet.

Twenty minutes later, I've found what I'm looking for and actually have a real smile on my face for the first time in days.

Oh, that's right, I haven't shared my plan with you yet, have I?

Okay, well here's the thing. I'm not planning on spending Thanksgiving by myself and without Liz. So, I've decided to plan a little trip to Massachusetts this weekend to surprise her. I'm going to find out how much the flights are and then call my parents to see if they might be able to temporarily loan me some money to help pay for it.

I haven't seen Liz in what feels like forever; and you know, I'm not just missing my girlfriend right now, I'm missing my best friend too.

I miss lounging around with her, watching DVD's and chucking popcorn at each other; I miss laughing with her and grossing her out with locker room stories; I miss the way she always insists that she's right, even when we both know that she's not.

God, I just miss her.

I know that she's having a great time at Harvard; she's enjoying herself, mainly due to Becca, her very social roommate. I'm happy for her. When we were talking on the phone a few weeks ago, Liz told me that she was actually glad that Becca kept dragging her off to parties and introducing her to new people; because otherwise she would be spending every day sitting in her room, missing me and not making the most of being at university; which I'm glad about.

That's not to say that I don't have a social life here at UNM; it's just that I've never been as quite as outgoing as Liz and it's kinda hard to go out socialising with your roommate when all he's interested in is finding girls who will put out; and that's really _not _my idea of a fun night out. Luckily, my fellow teammates on the soccer squad are pretty nice guys and most of them have become good friends of mine. We go out on guy's nights and to the occasional Frat party, but it's not like a constant flow of social activity; which to be honest, suits me fine. I feel like I've found a good balance between studying and partying.

Shit! A quick glance at the clock reminds me that my English class starts in less than five minutes and I'm still sitting in front of the computer, oblivious to everything else. I grab my bag from the floor and log off, quickly making my way out of the room and towards the English department.

* * *

**_Thursday November 28th 2002 – Thanksgiving_.**

Well, it's all arranged. I spoke to my parents (well, begged them, really) and they agreed to help me out with the cost of the flights; so, this morning, I'm flying out to Boston to see Liz!

I haven't told her that I'm coming; I want it to be a surprise. We chatted online last night and she told me that a friend of hers (her next-door neighbour, Katie, I think) who lives locally, has invited her over for Thanksgiving Dinner, but after that, she's planning on a quiet night in, in front of the TV; so I'm going to surprise her this evening.

There's still about half an hour before I have to leave for the airport. I'm all packed and ready to go, so I put my hands behind my head, stare up at the ceiling and think about Liz. Steve has gone back home to Chicago for the holiday weekend, so I've had the luxury of being alone with my thoughts for a few hours.

As I lie on my bed, my mind wanders back to our trip this summer and how great it was.

You know, looking back, I still can't quite believe that I actually plucked up the courage to tell Liz how I felt about her. I'd lived in the shadows for so long, dating other girls in a vain attempt to keep my mind off her. I wasn't confident that she would feel the same way about me, yet in my heart, something told me that we were meant to be together.

I can still picture the way she looked that night in San Francisco; she took my breath away. I could barely take my eyes off her that night; the way her dress clung to her body in all the right places, the way her hair shone in the restaurant lights; the way she kept looking up and catching me watching her. I honestly hadn't intended on kissing her when we got back to the hotel; but once we'd arrived, I just couldn't help it.

But, I'm so glad that I did. I mean, look where we are now: I love her and she loves me, and we're both happy. I have everything I've ever wanted with her. Okay, so maybe we haven't had sex yet and I can't really complain, since it was my decision to wait, but I can tell you that I'm seriously hoping that we will finally take that step this weekend. After a lot of thought (and more than two months away from Liz), I've realised that I don't want to wait any longer; I'm ready to be with her.

* * *

My flight arrives at the airport in Boston at 8.30pm (can you believe that it took 8 hours and a connection in Phoenix to get here?!), I grab my bag off the carousel at baggage claim as quickly as I can and hail a cab to Cambridge. As we approach Harvard University, a knot of excitement begins to form in my stomach. After two whole months, I'm finally going to see Liz again!

The cab driver pulls up outside Liz's residence hall and I get out of the car. After I thank him and pay for the ride, I'm left standing outside the building, wondering how on earth I'm going to get inside. The easiest thing would be to call Liz and have her come let me in, but then that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?

Fortunately, a small group of students appear a few moments later and I manage to sneak in after them, casually pretending that I'm part of their group. Once I'm inside, I glance down at the piece of paper in my hand, the one that has Liz's room number scribbled on it and I set about finding her.

Ten minutes and several wrong turns later, I finally find myself outside her room. I can hear the sound of the TV through the door and I smile. My girlfriend is right on the other side!

I'm feeling kinda nervous as I take a deep breath and raise my hand to knock. I don't know why, really; this is Liz, a girl I've known forever. But somehow, it seems different now that we're together. I rap on the door three times and stand back as I wait for her to answer. I hear her voice on the other side, as if she's talking to someone and I start to get worried. Does she have company?

But then the door opens and my worries are immediately put to rest. There she is; a vision in pale blue sweatpants and an oversized grey sweatshirt (actually, come to think of it, that's _my _sweatshirt!) – her standard vegging-out attire. A smile breaks out on my face as she gasps at the sight of me.

"Max?! Oh my God!" she cries in disbelief, her hand flying to my mouth.

"Surprise!" I grin. "Happy Thanksgiving, Liz."

"Oh my God," she repeats in wonder. "What are you doing here? I thought you couldn't afford…" she shakes her head. "I can't believe you're really here!" she exclaims suddenly, and flings her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly for a moment and then letting go to plant a long-awaited kiss on my lips.

Oh my God, I'm in heaven. She feels so good. My bag slips from my hand, landing on the floor with a thud as I lift my arms and hold her to me as I deepen the kiss. She's so warm, and soft, and sweet; I can't get enough of her. We're just getting into our embrace, our tongues tangling together as our hands drift everywhere, when suddenly a throat clears behind Liz. My eyes snap open in surprise and I pull away from her. There is a guy standing in the middle of the room, a guy I don't know.

"Max? What – ?" She looks confused, so I nod my head in the direction of the strange man. Her eyes widen in realisation, "Oh." She turns in my arms so that she can see both of us. "Max, this is Jack. He lives down the hall," she tells me. "We're both stuck here over the holiday, so he came to keep me company," she explains. "Jack, this is Max, my boyfriend." He nods in my direction with a small smile. I remember now, she told me about him, and that other guy…Tim, I think; they're part of her new group of friends. I know she's just friends with him and that I shouldn't feel jealous, but I can't seem to stop the feeling of envy that rises up in me. It's like when we were in Arizona and I came out to the pool to find her talking to that guy, Aiden. I was so jealous that day.

I'm so caught up in the memory that I almost miss the fact that the guy's talking to me.

"Hey, Max. It's good to finally meet you," he says, holding out his hand. "We've heard all about you."

I shake his hand. "Nice to meet you, too," I smile pleasantly. "I gather you've all been taking care of my Lizzie the past few months. Thank you, I appreciate it," I tell him warmly and beside me, Liz blushes. She looks so cute when she blushes; she always has. I remember when we were kids and she used to blush like that when she got embarrassed. Even back then, I thought she was the sweetest, most precious thing I'd ever seen.

Suddenly, I can't seem to take my eyes off her and I think Jack senses it too, because the next thing I know, he's politely excusing himself and quickly leaving the room. Liz reaches round to close the door behind him and just like that, we're alone.

Before I have a chance to say anything though, Liz's arms are around me again and her lips are pressing firmly against mine. Wow, I've missed this; her warmth, how soft her skin is, the feel of her lips on mine. All too soon, it's over however, as Liz pulls back and the excited questions begin,

"What are you doing here? How did you get here? I can't believe you kept this a secret! I can't believe I never guessed! Oh my God, Max!" she finishes with a laugh and a happy grin.

"Well," I start. "I didn't want to you to spend Thanksgiving here all by yourself, and I also didn't want to spent it without you; and so, since you couldn't make it home, I asked my parents to lend me some money for the flights and I came out to visit you."

"Max, thank you," she sighs, wrapping her arms around my neck once again. "I love you."

I smile; I'll never get enough of hearing those words fall from her lips. A swell of emotion rises up inside me and I have to swallow quickly before I reply.

"I love you, too."

Suddenly, our mouths are fused together again; our bodies flush against one another and Liz is walking me backwards towards her bed. As soon as I realise which bed is hers, I spin her around so that it's her legs that come into contact with the end, not mine, and we fall to the mattress.

For several moments, we don't think, just feel. Liz's hands are roaming the length of my back, causing wonderful sensations to shoots through my body. My own hands are running up and down her sides, occasionally brushing her breasts with a thumb as I go. She's planting feather-like, soft kisses to my face and I reciprocate by nuzzling her neck, caressing a tender spot at the base that I know turns her on. I am rewarded by a sharp gasp from her and I smile against her skin.

I love this woman. I want to make love to this woman; right here, right now.

Eager to show her exactly how much I love her, I slip my hands beneath her sweater; feeling the warm, smooth skin of her stomach.

"Max," she gasps, her fingers finding their way under my shirt. The feel of her small hands caressing my lower back is almost too much to bear and I return my mouth to hers, pouring all my love for her into that one kiss, before taking hold of her top, easing it over her head and dropping it to the carpeted floor.

Before I know it, my shirt has joined hers and I am bare-chested, which is more than I can say for her, considering that she's still clad in a delicate camisole, although not for long.

I realise, as I gently tug the camisole over her head, leaving her only in a white lacy bra, that I haven't seen her totally naked yet. That night in Vegas, when I couldn't help myself and just had to taste her, I didn't even remove her clothing first!

I suck in a breath, preparing to remove the last barrier between me and her naked chest. One at a time, I carefully slip each strap of her bra down over her shoulder, caressing her skin lightly with my fingers as I go. She writhes beneath me, her breath coming in short pants. I don't want to just pull the garment down and embarrass her, but I now realise that I haven't exactly had that much experience in the unfastening of bra and now I'm kind of stuck.

Luckily, Liz's eyes open when I make no move to continue, and I guess she sees the uncertainty in my eyes, because she then raises herself up, reaching behind her to unclasp it. I watch hungrily as she lets the straps slide further down her arms and she shrugs out of the bra, allowing it to fall to the ground beside the bed.

I'm mesmerised by the sight of her as she settles back down against the mattress. I can't take my eyes off her; she's so beautiful.

"I know it's not much," she whispers, averting her eyes.

"No, Liz," I say quickly. "You're just…perfect. Absolutely perfect."

I watch her face as she blushes in response and I just have to lean down to kiss her once more. However, the kiss doesn't stay chaste and quick like I'd intended and before I know it, our hands are everywhere, touching, caressing, stroking, my hands cup her breasts as she places the palms of her hands against my back.

Somehow, we both end up reaching for each other's pants at exactly the same time and there's a moment of hesitation as we both simply stare at each other.

Eventually, Liz breaks the silence, "Max, are you sure? Do you really want to do this tonight?"

I press a quick kiss to her lips. "Yes, I'm sure, Liz. Completely, totally sure," I assure her. "I even came prepared."

"You did?" she smiles.

"Yep, they're in my bag."

"Okay," she whispers. "Let's do this."

I respond with, "Your wish is my command, milady," and reach down to slip her pants down over her hips.

"Wait!" she cries suddenly.

"What?" I'm confused. Has she suddenly changed her mind?

"I think we ought to lock the door first," she suggests. "We don't want anyone disturbing us, do we?"

"No!" My eyes widen at the thought and I roll to the side to let her up.

I watch as she pads across the room and I smiled as she holds her hands to her chest self-consciously. After she's clicked the lock shut, she picks up my bag and quickly returns to the bed.

"You know, I'm so glad that Becca's gone home to Florida for the weekend," she states, as I kick off my shoes and settle back down onto the bed, under the covers this time. Before I slide into the bed, I take the opportunity to reach into my bag and pull out the box of condoms that I bought before I left Albuquerque. I place them on the table next to the bed and then lie down, turning my attention back to Liz.

"So…" I start, somewhat awkwardly.

"So…" she echoes in the same tone; but then she smiles, "Well, I guess I kinda killed the mood with that one, huh?"

A small chuckle escapes my lips as she bites her lip and looks up at me sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess you did," I smile, suddenly entranced as her tongue snakes out to wet her lips. "But you know," I add, my voice coming out slightly hoarse. "I don't think it'll be too hard to get it back again."

"No?" she grins.

"No," I whisper back, my gaze fixed on her lips. I snake an arm around her waist and pull her closer. "Come here, you," I manage to get out, only a second before our lips meet in an eager kiss.

Before I know it, Liz's nimble fingers have unbuttoned my jeans and she has slipped her hands inside, easing them over my hips. I almost jump at the feel of her fingers squeezing my backside through the thin material of my boxers, pressing my erection into her; but suddenly her tongue is begging entrance to my mouth and my surprise dissipates and instead is replaced by arousal at the feel of her intimately pressed against me. Once Liz has managed to manoeuvre my pants down to my knees, I finish the task by kicking them off the rest of the way and then to the floor.

Hastily, I reach for the waistband of her sweatpants. I'm pleased to find that it is elastic and that I don't have to wrestle with any knots or bows. Eager to see her, to touch her, I pull them down over her hips and with her help, they fall to the floor. We're now both clad only in our underwear and I look up at her, stopping all movement for a moment. Her face is flushed and her chest is rising and falling noticeably, but she has the most beautiful smile on her face and I can't help brushing her hair back off her forehead and smiling back at her.

The moment is broken however, when I realise something embarrassing; something that, even though this is my first time, I should have remembered.

I still have my socks on.

I'm in bed with Liz, we're almost naked, and I'm still wearing my socks!

What was I thinking? God; someone shoot me, now!

My expression must show my dilemma because Liz gets a concerned look on her face.

"Max? What's wrong?" she asks tenderly, but I can't bring myself to make eye contact with her. I can feel the tips of my ears getting hot and I just know that they're turning pink. I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. I chance a peek at Liz. Great, she knows I'm embarrassed about something.

Okay, well here goes…

"I…" is as far as I get, before I feel a foot brush against my calf…and my sock. Liz's eyes widen in realisation.

"Oh…" she grins.

Oh…what?

Crap!

But what she does next surprises me. With a mischievous grin, she disappears beneath the covers, furrowing downwards.

"Liz, what…?" I don't get any further because suddenly her hands are on my legs, as she tugs first one, then the other sock down and pulls each of them off.

"Liz, stop it!" I exclaim as she runs a finger along the bottom of my right foot and a muffled giggle sounds from the end of the bed. Damn! She knows how ticklish I am; yet she still tortures me!

"Lizzie!" I try again; this time with what I hope is annoyance in my tone.

I let out a breath when she sighs, "Fine," and stops the movement of her fingers; but my relief is short-lived, because the next thing I know, she's kissing her way up my legs.

Oh my God!

I don't know how long I can stand this new torture. With every kiss and caress, she inches closer to where I need her most, teasing me until I can't think straight, but never quite reaching her target.

The moment she bypasses my groin and begins covering my stomach with light, open-mouthed kisses, is the moment I snap. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her up my body, letting out a groan of pleasure as her stomach and thighs brush against my straining erection, and I capture her lips in a passionate embrace.

"I want you, Lizzie," I whisper between feverish kisses. "I want you now. No more waiting."

"Okay," she murmurs softly, supporting her weight on her arms as she gazes down at me, her long, dark hair falling over her shoulder like a sheet of silk. It tickles my chest and a shiver runs through my entire body. "So," she begins, leaning down to nuzzle my neck. I close my eyes with the sensation. "How do you want to…you know…do this?"

"Um…I…uh…" What was the question again? Oh, right. How do I want to…Okay.

"Just, um…the usual way, I guess," I manage eventually, my face burning. Why is this suddenly so difficult?

"Okay," she smiles against my skin. "Well, I guess these had better go, then," she whispers, kissing my shoulder as she loops her fingers in the waistband of my boxers and eases them down. I suck in a sharp breath as my erection springs free from its confines, and then my shorts are gone.

I gasp, my breath coming fast as Liz gently strokes me a couple of times, before shifting to my side. She removes her panties, kicking them to the floor to join the rest of our clothes, as she settles beside me once again. I turn towards her, slipping my arm around her waist so that our bodies are touching. I can't help but gasp at the contact. God, she feels so perfect against me, her bare breasts brushing my chest, her stomach and soft thighs touching mine, her pelvis trapping my hardness between us.

"Liz," I mutter, my voice coming out a little deeper than usual. I can't stop my hips from rolling against hers; I'm aching to be inside of her and I don't think I can wait a moment longer. "I need you."

She smiles lustfully, her hand coming up to cup my cheek, her lips moving closer to mine. "I need you, too," she murmurs, sealing our mouths together in a sweet kiss. The movement of my hips against her becomes more frantic as our tongues tangle together eagerly, but before I can give in to temptation and bury myself within her, Liz lays a hand on my chest and stops me.

"Max, wait. We're forgetting something here."

"We are?" I wonder, my brain too fuzzy to think of anything but her.

"Yes," she nods towards the bedside table behind me and I realise what she's talking about. Protection.

"Right, yes. Sorry," I apologise, rolling onto my back as I reach for the box.

A couple of moments later and with little trouble, the condom is in place and I'm ready. I may be a virgin, but I'm no stranger to condoms. When we were in middle school, Michael managed to get hold of some and we each made sure that we knew how to use them (separately, obviously; and in the privacy of our own homes, of course).

Liz rolls onto her back in preparation, smiling softly at me, but I make no move to join her. It's like I'm frozen, just lying on my side, staring at her.

I'm suddenly extremely nervous.

"Hey," she whispers, propping herself up on her elbow. "What are you thinking about?"

"How nervous I am right this moment," I admit.

"Max," she murmurs, stroking my arm with her free hand. "There's no need to be nervous. You're gonna do great, okay?" she grins and despite my reservations, my lips curl into a smile too.

She kisses me then, her hand running down over my stomach towards my groin and then round to my waist. As our tongues meet once more, she stretches out on the bed, bringing me with her until I'm resting above her, my hips nestled between her legs, my arousal pressing against her intimately. At the feel of her soft, wet centre next to me, my nervousness all but disappears and is replaced with desire.

"I love you, Max Evans," Liz declares as her hand snakes down between our bodies and guides me to her opening. I bury my head in her neck to muffle my groan as I enter her.

"I love you too, Liz Parker," I manage in a gasp, my eyes practically crossing at the sensations coursing through my body.

'Oh my God' is all I can think as I ease myself further into her, my breath coming in short pants as her tight, wet heat envelops me. God, this is perfection. Liz is perfection. I can't imagine being this way with anyone else, nor can I imagine knowing anyone else in this way.

Carefully, I sheath myself within her fully and my heart leaps at her breathy moan, as my name falls from her lips. Her arms wrap around my shoulders as I withdraw from her body almost completely before gently pushing back in. The feeling is indescribable; it makes me wonder why I never did this before, why _we_ never did this before.

As my nervousness and uncertainty melts away, I find myself moving more urgently, eager to keep building the wonderful sensations that Liz and I are creating. Liz is pressed firmly against me, her chest flush with mine, her warm, slightly damp skin rubbing wonderfully over mine as we move together. Just when I think this can't get any better, she wraps her legs around my waist and I drive deeper into her than before. We both gasp at the change in position, losing ourselves in a deep, passion-filled kiss, which causes the movement of my hips to quicken, becoming more frenzied and even more urgent than before.

Suddenly, Liz's inner walls tighten around me; squeezing me so deliciously that I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out. Beneath me, Liz is breathing heavily, her eyes closed, her head flung back and I can tell she's close as well. I continue to stroke in and out of her whilst I lean down and press kisses to the exposed skin of her neck. The hands leave my shoulders, her fingers curling in my hair as she whispers my name. I dart my tongue out to lick the sensitive spot behind her ear and suddenly she tenses beneath me, crying out her release.

I can't help but watch her face as she writhes in ecstasy below me and a feeling of pride swells in my chest with the knowledge that I can do this to her, that I can make her lose control like this. I look away a moment later however, as my own release builds up inside me and I have to close my eyes with the force of it.

"Liz! Oh my God, Liz. I love you," I gasp, the words coming out in a jumble as sensation take over and my mind turns to jelly. All I know is what I'm feeling right now and it's the most wonderful, most luxurious feeling in the world. I never want it to end.

Exhausted, my arms give out and I collapse onto Liz, my head buried against her neck once again. Her hands trace small circles on my back and she drops a soft kiss to my hair as I try to catch my breath and gather enough strength to move.

It takes me a few moments, but eventually I manage to roll off her and pull her to me. She settles against my chest, her hand coming up to rest over my still rapidly beating heart as her leg entwines with mine.

"Wow," I exhale. "That was just…incredible."

She giggles softly, "It was, wasn't it?"

"I wanna do it again," I declare sleepily.

"You do, huh?" she lifts her head to look at me.

"Yep. And again and again." I can barely keep my eyes open. "In fact, let's do it again right now."

"Of course, Max. Whatever you want, you just let me know when you're ready again." Her teasing tone is the last thing I hear before I'm dead to the world.

* * *

_Sunday December 1st 2002_

I have just had the most amazing weekend of my life. I've spent two wonderful, blissful days with Liz, making love with her. Liz. The love of my life; my best friend in the entire world.

My life is perfect.

Well, except for the fact that I currently live two thousand miles away from said best friend and girlfriend, and there's still three weeks until Christmas vacation, when I'll be able to see her again.

But you know, this weekend has taught me two very important things:

One, I am more in love right now than I have ever been in my whole life and two…

I love sex!

Honestly, I don't know how I've gone without it all this time. It has to be _the_ best experience in the world, bar none.

Of course, I don't just mean sex in general; I mean sex with one Miss Elizabeth Parker. Actually, I really should call it making love, because I don't think it ever could be just sex with us. Even if it's hard and fast and passionate, it will still always be making love (and believe me, I know – I've learned quite a bit about Liz Parker this weekend).

Man, it's going to be a tough few years with her at Harvard and me studying here at UNM!

With thoughts of Liz, and everything we did these past few days on my mind, I open the door to my room and am greeted with an unusual sight. Steve, obviously back from Chicago, is sitting on his bed, a book in his hand, looking rather serious.

I frown in puzzlement as I walk over to my bed and drop my bag on the floor. Steve looks up at the noise, confused. But then he realises that it's me and his confusion becomes a smirk.

"So, where have you been this weekend?" he wiggles his eyebrows slyly. "I was under the impression that you were spending Thanksgiving with the folks, but Dave from down the hall says he saw you boarding a plane to Boston Thursday morning."

I can't prevent the grin that spreads across my face at the thought of Liz as I reply, "Yeah, I went to see Liz. We had a great time together," I practically sigh, the words slipping out unintentionally.

Steve just eyes me suspiciously for a moment, before he grins, "Well, looks like _someone_ got lucky this weekend!"

I look away, slightly awkwardly, but then his words sink in. "Wait, _someone_? Do you mean to say that _you_ didn't get any over Thanksgiving? And that I'm the only one in this room that did? Wow," I whistle as he suddenly looks away uncomfortably. I frown. "What about all those girls you were bragging about back home – what was that one girl's name…Donna?"

"What about her?" he asks suddenly and I detect a slightly defensive tone in his voice. I watch him for a second, his body language, and suddenly it dawns on me. He likes this girl; like, _really_ likes her. Wow, the beast may have actually been tamed, who'd have thought it?

"Nothing," I amend quickly. "It doesn't matter."

He watches me for a minute, but then simply shrugs and returns to his book, leaving me to unpack my bags.

"Max?" he asks about thirty minutes later.

"Yeah?" I ask from my inside my closet, where I'm hanging up a couple of shirts.

"Liz, your girlfriend…" he trails off and I poke my head round the door.

"Yeah?"

"You're always telling her you love her on the phone, but do you mean it? Are you really in love with her?"

Wow, this must be serious if he's asking about love.

"Yeah I do," I smile happily. "I really love her. In fact, I think she might just be the one. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," he shakes his head quickly and I have to suppress a grin. My player of a roommate might just be falling in love. "So, she's the one, huh?"

"Yeah," I smile. "She was my best friend for years, but one day I just found myself looking at her and thinking 'One day, I'm going to marry that girl'."

"And do you think you will?" questions Steve curiously.

"Yeah, I think I will," I grin, before turning back to the cupboard.

Just think; Liz Parker: my future wife.

**The End**

A sequel entitled **'I'll Be There**' will follow very shortly...


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